Maturity is a much-maligned thing within the pop world. Let's face it, there's nothing that the mass-media consuming pop-culture junkie detests more than a band that changes their sound. Maybe the new sound makes the consumer feel stupid? Maybe the new sound is just shit? Maybe it's something not worth postulating over? The fact is that this is how it isââ¬Â¦
So, praise whoever it is that you praise for The Living End. Despite the self-created credence that they were moving on creatively from Modern Artillery, which moved on from Roll On which moved on from their eponymous debut, they haven't. Well, at least not really. They've moved on in the sense that The Offspring have moved on. You know, where they haven't really, but everyone says they have anyway?
State of Emergency is just another album from The Living End. Nothing more. Nothing less. The same fusion of modern-punk and old rock 'n' roll influences, stoked up by Chris Cheney's tendency to show off on guitar and some inclination towards psychobilly somewhere in the mix. The Living End has cultivated their own sound somewhere out of the quagmire of modern punk music. They're even pretty good at it. They make raucous, enjoyable albums. Hell, they even infuse some good sensibilities into it now and then. But the inescapable fact is that every song they've ever written could slot anywhere into any of their other albums, were it not for the ever-increasing production budget that seems to come along with every new release.
It bounces along with huge riffs, shout-along choruses, the odd breakdown, and the trademark Cheney vocals. An occasional punk-rock ballad thrown in somewhere or other for good measure. Stand-up bass lines that really never needed a stand-up bass, but have one anyway, just because it looks cool as hell when Scott balances on it and plays at the same time. But it always comes back to that one inescapable fact. And that inescapable fact exists to the degree that it's hard find something that defines any particular songs from the restââ¬Â¦ They're all just Living End songs.
State of Emergency is a great album if you already like The Living End. Hell, if, somehow, you don't know them yet, you might even like it. If you don't like them you'll not be converted. The simple truth is that it sounds just like every other album The Living End has ever made. Every song sounds just like every other song The Living End have ever made. Whether that's a bad thing or notââ¬Â¦ Well, you decide.
