Our Lady Peace: Gravity
A follow-up to the outstanding but commercially unsuccessful album Spiritual Machines, Our Lady Peace’s Gravity proved to be a relative hit that gave the band the recogition that was closer to what they had deserved for so long. It won them many new fans but at the same time alienated others - maybe it was the departure of Mike Turner, or the hiring of Bob Rock instead of Mike Lanni as producer, or it could have merely been a planned change of direction on the part of the band themselves. Whatever the reason, it’s a marked departure from the quirky alt-rock of their earlier days.
All For You fades in with piano and ambient synths before bold, stadium-sized guitar riffs burst into life and set the tone for the rest of the record: straightforward guitar melodies along with Raine Maida’s distinctive vocal delivery (albeit without his love-it-or-hate-it falsetto moments). Do You Like It? is another catchy number that sums up everything that is right and wrong with the record as a whole - the recording is polished, the musicianship cannot be faulted but there is a simplicity and predictability that was never evident in their previous efforts. Somewhere Out There is a touching and heartfelt rock ballad that rightly became the album’s hit single and is without a doubt a standout track; Innocent would be another weren’t it for the cloying child chorus section. It worked a treat on Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall part 2 but it just sounds forced and over-used these days (I’m looking at you too, P.O.D.).
Made of Steel is another radio-friendly singalong that maintains the catchiness that OLP always showed but still misses the experimental vibe of Spiritual Machines and everything that went before. The lyrics are less cryptic but the lack of ambiguity seems to strip away some of their depth; Not Enough is darker-sounding but still has the bread and butter dropped-D tuned guitar chords that go where you expect them to but offer no surprises. It does have a decent guitar solo, though. Sell My Soul is also quite angst-ridden, laden with meaning and tales of regrets before the uplifting Sorry lightens the mood.
The problem seems to be that OLP have worked hard to sound like everyone else: if it weren’t for Raine’s voice Story About a Girl and the final tune Bring Back the Sun could have been recorded by a number of other bands. I’m not questioning the talents of guitarist Steve Mazur or producer Bob Rock: they do their jobs well as the rest of the band do and the overall experience is that of a listenable and enjoyable record. Unfortunately that cannot shake off the nagging feeling that they have made a more accessible album that is thoroughly average.
In Summary
Gravity is a very different album from OLP: the sound is more stripped-down and commercial and less experimental. This means that it has few of the quirks that may have denied the band the success they enjoyed outside their home country but in the process they have sacrificed much of their individuality in their bid for the mainstream. It is the product of a talented, hard working band but long-standing fans will feel that there is something special missing. A worthwhile listen but by no means their best effort to date.
Tracklisting
- All For You
- Do You Like It
- Somewhere Out There
- Innocent
- Made of Steel
- Not Enough
- Sell My Soul
- Sorry
- Story About a Girl
- Bring Back the Sun
Leave a Reply