Yea I definitely like it overall, and there are some incredible highs, but I can't help but feel we could've got something a little more. Looking forward to your review!
Man, I hate saying it, but this new album is incredibly underwhelming to me, as was Paradise Valley and Battle Studies (BS has a few nice jams). Born and Raised was nice because it was such a change when there needed to be one, but that influence clearly didn't get let go in future releases. I am actually disappointed with this release overall, really. A lot of slow songs that, frankly, bore me to the core. Definitely not paying for it and glad I didn't waste money on it. Mainly because I know what this guy is capable of as a musician and he just hasn't delivered on recent albums, in my opinion. Plus, he really kinda screwed himself with the way this album was released. Hype level decreased insanely fast up to the release. There are some highlights on the album, but dang. Hopefully it grows on me because I really want to enjoy something new by John since the Trio and Continuum days. Still worth seeing him in concert though. Especially when Pino and Steve Jordan are playing with him.
It's funny though because there's many songs from the first 2 waves that I would cut from this to just make one really good EP
Still Feel Like Your Man Love On The Weekend In The Blood Roll It On Home You're Gonna Live Forever In Me Bam!
I think its great but I don't think it's very cohesive, I think the last song sucks and the way it was released had me expecting more and diluted the impact of the album as a whole. I also wouldn't put any song on here on par with the best on any of his other albums.
It could be because I haven't spent too much time with it but I don't think as highly of that song as others/John seem to. "Rosie" is probably my favourite of the three new songs, not sure what my favourite on the album would be but I could probably pick at least 10 from B&R/PV that I like more than anything on here.
How is there not more love for Moving On and Getting Over in this thread? One of his best songs ever if you ask me.
In The Blood pretty much sums up my wife's experience with her family and my in-laws, hits pretty hard. Trying to play the whole album over and over in the background of my day to psych myself out of the order my brain had them in. Really groovin to Rosie a lot
Moving On, Helpless, and Still Feel Like Your Man are the only songs I like and the only new songs that don't put me asleep. Really wished the rest of the album was more along the lines of those.
Oh man, that song with Katy Perry has to be my least favorite JM song. I don't even know why, just never liked it. Anyway, despite the weird roll out, album is fine. A semi-return to form, dude has always occupied the soft rock/pop space and this isn't any different.
I still maintain that I really liked the album. I think a lot of it for me is that I saw the original rollout plan and said "yeah, okay." It never really factored into my thoughts on the songs. I honestly like it about as much as I do any of his other records. Not saying it's as good, but saying I enjoy it as much.
Like, I really love "On the Way Home" and "Born and Raised" and "A Face to Call Home," but "In the Blood" hits harder for me. Reminds me of the first time I heard "Stop This Train."
Yeah, I can see that. I think a lot of his songs work more depending on how the message hits you personally and none of the songs on this album really do much for me emotionally whereas a lot of the stuff on Born & Raised did.