August and everything After and Recovering the Sattelites....
As has been noted, these are two completely different albums. August
was the soundtrack of my life for the last three years, and it perfectly
matched my feelings and emotions. IT was a terribly sad and beautiful
piece of work, and I listened to it everyday for all three years. The
day Recovering came out, I ran to the store in the morning and got the
first copy, then skipped class the next period, to listen to it. I was
entranced by it, because it was completely different, the songs still
had some of the previous melancholy, but it was altogether a new start
it seemed like. I appreciated the album on that level, and I enjoy it
very much, but what I think is the reason for the rather lukewarm
response that a lot of people cannot connect as well with happy emotions
as they can with sad ones. As well, the first album detailed a persons,
(Adam's) dreams and aspirations, when he was a normal citizen pretty
much, he didn't have to deal with fame, and all that comes with it, and
was writing from the perspective that a lot of people have: Confusion,
uncertainess, lost love, and a feeling of lonliness. The new album is
how he is dealing with every part of taking the next step, into the
public eye. Not many people can relate to this, and they most definitly
can't relate to a story about someone hearing themselves on the radio as
much as they could relate to having DREAMS of being on the radio. It
doesn't mean that the album isnt just as entertaining, but it means that
it is entertaining in a more extatentual way, and not so deeply rooted
in simple emotion. We can enjoy the album on the basis of the talent of
the band, and the beauty of Adams voice, as well as in the stories he
tells, but its more of an outside view now.
Adrian Zylawy