Album Review: Vulnerable by The Used
Release Date: March 26, 2012
Alright, so I waited a month and a half to review... sorry? I'm a lazy ass? lol. Okay so I heard rumors that this album was even better than Artwork when it first came out. I didn't get it for a week so I heard all the stories and I was doubtful. If you're new to my Album Reviews, Artwork by The Used is kind of my standard to which I compare other rock albums (pop albums get more leniency since I'm not a big pop fan and it wouldn't stand up to Artwork). It's the highest rated album I've EVER done.
... I was doubtful, but no lie, this one comes close to Artwork.
Let's begin!
1)I Come Alive- First listen I wasn't that impressed, it sounded very 'Pretty Handsome Awkward' but after a few listens I grew to like it. It definitely isn't a 'best of the album' but it's a good song. Dan's drumming really stands out here. There are some subtleties that really make the song as far as drums go. The lyrics aren't anything to write home to in the scope of Bert McCracken's beautiful writing style, but they're pretty goo.
2)This Fire- I really like this one. It's hard and heavy and angry and I LOVE it! It's placement between I Come Alive and Hands and Faces is really great. Just like Artwork, this album has GREAT flow and song order is key! The guitar near the end really stands out beautifully. I love the strings opening/closing as well.
3)Hands And Faces- Hands and Faces is another one of their signature 'dirty pop' sounds in that it's a very catchy tune with a harder musical side to it. I adore The Used, in part, for their ability to turn rock music into catchy songs just like pop tunes. It's really amazing. I love the middle section where it all slows down and then slides back into the main fast tune in the blink of an eye!
4)Put Me Out- This is one of the better songs on the album. The driving guitar at the start bleeds into Bert's signature vocals beautifully at the start. This is another one of his signature angry poetry songs. This song is just... incredible! And the breakdown about 3/4ths of the way in is just PERFECT for this song. The vibe and the lyrics and the music all combine PERFECTLY. Also, this song is stupidly fun to sing. No joke.
5)Shine- This is another one of the 'dirty pop' songs because the tune is really catchy, the lyrics are deceptively upbeat, and the song in general is a very 'defiant' song. It's one of those that has angry tones but underneath it all it's more of a 'fuck you, this is my time' and the music conveys that perfectly. Another that's fun to sing.
6)Now That You're Dead- This is a really DARK song. It's very heavy after a haunting intro. This song also has William Control on guest vocals. I didn't actually notice it the first time because it sounded a lot like Bert, but when you notice it, it really works. It's a harsh, angry song and I LOVE it. It's just what you need after a defiant, upbeath song like Shine. This one is perfectly placed and it is another that makes you want to just jump around and thrash out every bit of tension in your body. It's basically incredible.
7)Give Me Love- This one just SOUNDS like a classic 'The Used' song from the very first note. It's peppy and a damn good song. Once again, the drums really give it that little something extra it needs. It's amazing how a tiny little extra drums here and there can really fill out the sound better. Dan Whitesides is a terribly underrated drummer.
8)Moving On- This song kicks off with a little tiny bass moment that really makes this song. It's a good poppy song (almost full on pop, not dirty pop! lol) and the bass in it is what really makes the song. Just like the tiny little extra bits of drums on the last song, this one has just little extra pieces of music where the bass really owns the song. The song itself is another example of Bert's emotionally poetic lyrics. I love it. It's very 'I'm okay' and it's GREAT for where it is in the album because right after this bright, upbeat song is....
9)Getting Over You- This song hurts. It is placed perfectly because that last song was upbeat and this one is just... more gentle, more melodic, has more emphasis on the pretty vocals, not the angry ones. Again, Bert McCracken is one of the few lyricists that really writes something you can feel and this is a perfect example. The chorus itself makes your chest feel heavy and your throat tighten. "I will never be the same/ I can't even say your name/ I know our time is through/ no getting over you" The lyrics and the music combine into one of the saddest songs I've heard in a really long time. This song is just... beautiful.
10)Kiss It Goodbye- In STARK contrast to Getting Over You, this song is driven by a heavy beat and angry vocals that give the song a sense of violence that just... startles the senses after the last song in the BEST. WAY. EVER! The guitar is also very notable here.
11)Hurt No One- This is another really fucking sad song. It's once again, perfect in conjunction with Getting Over You to bracket Kiss It Goodbye. It's more of an angry sad, but it's very much a 'oww, my soul' song. The heavy, driving drums and intermittant guitar really set this regretful, angry tone to accompany the dark lyrics. The line "and now I know that I'm not sure I even love me anymore" really drives home the pain conveyed by the music and the rest of the lyrics. It's an amazing penultimate song because it's the perfect opposite to...
12)Together Burning Bright- A beautiful, amazing, wonderful, incredibly composed song is just... breathtaking. Bert's piano throughout really carries the tune and then when it goes into the chorus the piano just floats along beautifully with the rest of the music. This song is so hopeful. It's the perfect cap to an album full of anger, regret, defiance, and pain. It's just... amazing. It's the impecable choice for last song of the album.It cements the album's progression as near-perfect (just like Artwork). This song just... makes me smile like a fool. Every time I hear it, it's so amazing.
This album was just... incredible. The Used promised us a comparable next step after Artwork, which was one of the best albums of ALL. TIMES. and those motherfuckers DELIVERED. This album was just beautifully composed, the lyrics went from 'alright' all the way to 'holy fucking shit I'm going to cry!' and I'm NOT a big lyric person so that's a BIG praise from me!
However, out of it all it ISN'T better than Artwork. ALMOST as good... but it still falls a tiny bit short. And because of that, it doesn't get the coveted score like Artwork.
On my scale of 1-10, I rate it:
9.75/10
It's a funny number, but it's better than my 9.5 rated album but not QUITE the 9.99999(...) of Artwork.
Alright, so I waited a month and a half to review... sorry? I'm a lazy ass? lol. Okay so I heard rumors that this album was even better than Artwork when it first came out. I didn't get it for a week so I heard all the stories and I was doubtful. If you're new to my Album Reviews, Artwork by The Used is kind of my standard to which I compare other rock albums (pop albums get more leniency since I'm not a big pop fan and it wouldn't stand up to Artwork). It's the highest rated album I've EVER done.
... I was doubtful, but no lie, this one comes close to Artwork.
Let's begin!
1)I Come Alive- First listen I wasn't that impressed, it sounded very 'Pretty Handsome Awkward' but after a few listens I grew to like it. It definitely isn't a 'best of the album' but it's a good song. Dan's drumming really stands out here. There are some subtleties that really make the song as far as drums go. The lyrics aren't anything to write home to in the scope of Bert McCracken's beautiful writing style, but they're pretty goo.
2)This Fire- I really like this one. It's hard and heavy and angry and I LOVE it! It's placement between I Come Alive and Hands and Faces is really great. Just like Artwork, this album has GREAT flow and song order is key! The guitar near the end really stands out beautifully. I love the strings opening/closing as well.
3)Hands And Faces- Hands and Faces is another one of their signature 'dirty pop' sounds in that it's a very catchy tune with a harder musical side to it. I adore The Used, in part, for their ability to turn rock music into catchy songs just like pop tunes. It's really amazing. I love the middle section where it all slows down and then slides back into the main fast tune in the blink of an eye!
4)Put Me Out- This is one of the better songs on the album. The driving guitar at the start bleeds into Bert's signature vocals beautifully at the start. This is another one of his signature angry poetry songs. This song is just... incredible! And the breakdown about 3/4ths of the way in is just PERFECT for this song. The vibe and the lyrics and the music all combine PERFECTLY. Also, this song is stupidly fun to sing. No joke.
5)Shine- This is another one of the 'dirty pop' songs because the tune is really catchy, the lyrics are deceptively upbeat, and the song in general is a very 'defiant' song. It's one of those that has angry tones but underneath it all it's more of a 'fuck you, this is my time' and the music conveys that perfectly. Another that's fun to sing.
6)Now That You're Dead- This is a really DARK song. It's very heavy after a haunting intro. This song also has William Control on guest vocals. I didn't actually notice it the first time because it sounded a lot like Bert, but when you notice it, it really works. It's a harsh, angry song and I LOVE it. It's just what you need after a defiant, upbeath song like Shine. This one is perfectly placed and it is another that makes you want to just jump around and thrash out every bit of tension in your body. It's basically incredible.
7)Give Me Love- This one just SOUNDS like a classic 'The Used' song from the very first note. It's peppy and a damn good song. Once again, the drums really give it that little something extra it needs. It's amazing how a tiny little extra drums here and there can really fill out the sound better. Dan Whitesides is a terribly underrated drummer.
8)Moving On- This song kicks off with a little tiny bass moment that really makes this song. It's a good poppy song (almost full on pop, not dirty pop! lol) and the bass in it is what really makes the song. Just like the tiny little extra bits of drums on the last song, this one has just little extra pieces of music where the bass really owns the song. The song itself is another example of Bert's emotionally poetic lyrics. I love it. It's very 'I'm okay' and it's GREAT for where it is in the album because right after this bright, upbeat song is....
9)Getting Over You- This song hurts. It is placed perfectly because that last song was upbeat and this one is just... more gentle, more melodic, has more emphasis on the pretty vocals, not the angry ones. Again, Bert McCracken is one of the few lyricists that really writes something you can feel and this is a perfect example. The chorus itself makes your chest feel heavy and your throat tighten. "I will never be the same/ I can't even say your name/ I know our time is through/ no getting over you" The lyrics and the music combine into one of the saddest songs I've heard in a really long time. This song is just... beautiful.
10)Kiss It Goodbye- In STARK contrast to Getting Over You, this song is driven by a heavy beat and angry vocals that give the song a sense of violence that just... startles the senses after the last song in the BEST. WAY. EVER! The guitar is also very notable here.
11)Hurt No One- This is another really fucking sad song. It's once again, perfect in conjunction with Getting Over You to bracket Kiss It Goodbye. It's more of an angry sad, but it's very much a 'oww, my soul' song. The heavy, driving drums and intermittant guitar really set this regretful, angry tone to accompany the dark lyrics. The line "and now I know that I'm not sure I even love me anymore" really drives home the pain conveyed by the music and the rest of the lyrics. It's an amazing penultimate song because it's the perfect opposite to...
12)Together Burning Bright- A beautiful, amazing, wonderful, incredibly composed song is just... breathtaking. Bert's piano throughout really carries the tune and then when it goes into the chorus the piano just floats along beautifully with the rest of the music. This song is so hopeful. It's the perfect cap to an album full of anger, regret, defiance, and pain. It's just... amazing. It's the impecable choice for last song of the album.It cements the album's progression as near-perfect (just like Artwork). This song just... makes me smile like a fool. Every time I hear it, it's so amazing.
This album was just... incredible. The Used promised us a comparable next step after Artwork, which was one of the best albums of ALL. TIMES. and those motherfuckers DELIVERED. This album was just beautifully composed, the lyrics went from 'alright' all the way to 'holy fucking shit I'm going to cry!' and I'm NOT a big lyric person so that's a BIG praise from me!
However, out of it all it ISN'T better than Artwork. ALMOST as good... but it still falls a tiny bit short. And because of that, it doesn't get the coveted score like Artwork.
On my scale of 1-10, I rate it:
9.75/10
It's a funny number, but it's better than my 9.5 rated album but not QUITE the 9.99999(...) of Artwork.