Finger Eleven – Them Vs You Vs Me
Filed under: Album Reviews by ChrisNo Comments »
So, we’ve had this a little while…and I’ve been putting it off. I’ve been listening to it, and making notes, and I’ve even started it a few times…then given up.
It hasn’t been easy to write anything about this. But here goes…
‘Paralyser’, the opening song, is quite frankly embarrassing. It’s Franz Ferdinand, sung by Chad Kroeger…but with terrible lyrics. It’s an awful opener to the album, and it’s difficult to get past it. It’s a b-side, at best. To read that this song was both their first and most successful single is depressing. It’s clear, from the outset, that this is not an album made with me in mind.
Luckily, second track ‘Falling On’ fares a bit better. Not a lot, but it is noticeably more enjoyable than the dreck that preceded it. Mainly, it sounds more like a rock song. It has all the right hooks, improved lyrics, and is just generally ‘better’. It’s still generic, and a bit bland, but forgivably so.
It’s clear that Finger Eleven are talented, and the album remains varied enough to not become stale by way of repetition…but it just isn’t interesting enough. ‘I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague’ slows the tempo somewhat, and is a passable acoustic-y ballad number, but it ultimately fails to hold any attention.
Admittedly, ‘Lost My Way’ is a decent tune, but the nagging sense of ‘Nickleback’ haunts it’s every note. In fact, the same could be said for the rest of the album. Each song here apes another, more successful band; and whilst it may do it well at times, it still isn’t enough to make this good. Especially on the ‘Nickleback’-alike tracks.
‘So-So Suicide’ finds the band somewhat out of their depth…the vocals are strained, the riffs recycled…the lyrics god awful. It’s an attempt, I think, at a grunge/rock song…it’s certainly an attempt at a heavier sound…but it fails. I’m certain they used to be a reasonable rock band, with atleast one song ‘starring’ as a Wrestler’s entrance music…where they’ve lost this ‘edge’ is a mystery, but it’s missed.
Note: In absolutely no way am I suggesting that Wrestling Music is Good Music…but, y’no, it’s usually passable.
After this, only ‘Easy Life’ stands up to any kind of scrutiny. Sure, it borrows the bassline from a million other songs, but here the lyrics are not awful and it’s almost genuinely worth a listen. Although, while I’m here, I should point out that the 5 minute long track exceeds it’s welcome by about 2 and a half minutes – but this isn’t the worst of crimes that can be committed on the last track of an album.
Now, I don’t like being negative about bands, and I always try to pick out what’s best, and put that to the fore. Finger Eleven have made this difficult for me. I’m always wary of the typical American ‘rock’ band (yes, I know they’re Canadian, but my point still stands)…more often than not, they’re indistinguishable from one another, over-produced, under-thought commercial-minded shite. Which is pretty much exactly what you’ll find here.
Creed, Nickleback, Shinedown, any number of others…and now I can add Finger Eleven to this long, long list. If you like your music with zero personality, and about as much passion as a 78 year old celebate Nun, then you might like it…Everyone else, avoid.
It’s pointless music, basically. It does nothing new, nothing to propel the particular genre, and nothing to make the listener feel anything. Hell, it doesn’t even try. It’s all been done before by more talented people…it just isn’t fresh anymore, or worthy of your time.
Rating: 
Just not interesting enough to recommend…
Can I just say, though, that had Finger Eleven kept their original moniker, ‘Rainbow Butt Monkeys’, they may have fared a little better in my review.
I’m not even making this up.
Brilliant.
