For this blog, not only am I going to review CDs that came out recently, but I will also post a "Flashback." This is an album that came out at least 10 years ago that I think you should listen to not only because it is a classic, but also because it is one of many influential CDs that paved the way for music today. So if you haven't listened to this CD before, give it a try. If you have a copy of it hiding somewhere in your apartment or it is a playlist on your iPod you never touch, relive some memories.
H2O's second album, Thicker Than Water, came out in 1997, a couple years after the band formed. The band shows their New York roots in their music, with a good mix of punk and hardcore. Their lyrics have strong messages, from their straight-edge lifestyle to their strong appreciation for their friends.
This album has so many songs that define it as an album. I honestly can't pick a song that I don't like. Listening to just one song makes you want more, especially since none of the songs go over the three-minute mark. Consider it the Lays chip of the hardcore scene.
The fast music with often-intricate bass parts along with this tattooed lead singer singing his heart out makes for an album that many bands can look to for advice, so to speak. Every word that lead singer Toby Morse sings is so believable. He speaks through his heart and that itself makes the music great.
And you know what's the impressive part? This band is still going strong today. H2O released their fifth studio album, Nothing to Prove, last year. This just comes to show that their influence and music can stand the test of time, even though it has been more than ten years. Music changes often, but if a band can still be popular ten or so years later, that must mean they're doing something right. I had the chance to see them last year in October and their live performance was better than ever. They get better with age and it shows in more ways than one.
H2O's second album, Thicker Than Water, came out in 1997, a couple years after the band formed. The band shows their New York roots in their music, with a good mix of punk and hardcore. Their lyrics have strong messages, from their straight-edge lifestyle to their strong appreciation for their friends.This album has so many songs that define it as an album. I honestly can't pick a song that I don't like. Listening to just one song makes you want more, especially since none of the songs go over the three-minute mark. Consider it the Lays chip of the hardcore scene.
The fast music with often-intricate bass parts along with this tattooed lead singer singing his heart out makes for an album that many bands can look to for advice, so to speak. Every word that lead singer Toby Morse sings is so believable. He speaks through his heart and that itself makes the music great.
And you know what's the impressive part? This band is still going strong today. H2O released their fifth studio album, Nothing to Prove, last year. This just comes to show that their influence and music can stand the test of time, even though it has been more than ten years. Music changes often, but if a band can still be popular ten or so years later, that must mean they're doing something right. I had the chance to see them last year in October and their live performance was better than ever. They get better with age and it shows in more ways than one.
