Mechanical Bull - Track by Track Reviews

[SlowNight91]

Hey guys! In honor of the recent release of the amazing "Mechanical Bull", I thought it would be really cool to start a thread where everyone, as KOL fans, can express track by track their specific likes/dislikes for each individual song. This doesn't have to be critical or technical, just pure opinion. Essentially, just say whatever comes to mind when you hear the song, who it might remind you of, how it could be improved, or how it's a masterpiece. Also, feel free to add a rating and an overall summary at the end. I think this should be fun! Here's mine:

1) Supersoaker - Great all around song, great guitar, even better rhythm section... Can't believe some people have referred to this song as "poppy"... to my ears, it's almost as rocking as "Don't Matter"
2) Rock City - Don't know why, but my first thought when I heard this song was "Weezer" (lead guitar tone), lol, then Caleb came in and saved the day... and i'm also a sucker for drug references in songs so the opening lyrics were a breath of fresh air... heard a lot of people say this sounds like a YAYM b-side, however, I think it sounds like something more from the ASH era
3) Don't Matter - Killer song, terrible production on the album (imo)... may only listen to live versions, but I am getting used to the album version more and more each listen
4) Beautiful War - Simply beautiful, emotional, and all kinds of other emotions... powerful meaning... reminds me of all of the things me and my significant other have been through, and how true love is always more powerful
5) Temple - Really outside of the box for KOL, and I LOVE IT... gives a certain "90's sitcom theme song" feel, KILLER hooks all over the place... MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM
6) Wait for Me - Another beautiful song... reminds me of "The Police"... the drums carry this song and really make it what it is
7) Family Tree - The "haha" at the beginning is dumb, but the rhythm section is ridiculously groovy and the breakdown couldn't be better... weird lyrics, but hey, that's Caleb sometimes... something about this song also reminds me of "Celebration", not too sure what though, lol
8) Comeback Story - Is this an electric cover of Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talking"? lol j/k... seriously, another awesome tune and homage to the man, Grandfather Leon... music has a "Wilco" vibe at times... not a huge fan of the chorus (think the phrase was more suited to be stuck in a verse) but ultimately, it's KOL's songs and they can do whatever they want
9) Tonight - Hell yes! Delay and beautiful guitar tones!!! AWESOME first verse, had me hooked right after... sound a lot like "The Immortals" at times but I don't mean that in a judgmental way (btw, this song exhibits everything I admire about Matt as a guitar player)... the chorus is almost just like the chorus in "The Immortals"... I refer to this song as the "little brother" of "The Immortals"
10) Coming Back Again - is this even KOL?!? damn what a song! Quite possibly the most "indie" song they have ever made, and it worked like a charm... instant all-time favorite... the backup vocals during the chorus are perfect! (side note: Nathan is way too good at drums)... btw, who is singing the backup vocals? Sounds like Nate but I'm not sure really, it's sort of different
11) On the Chin - Don't really care for it... too country and sounds too much like that Ford commercial that annoys me every time I turn on the television... oh well... 12/13 isn't bad
12) Work on Me (Bonus Track) - Crazy weird guitar work (in a good way), gonna take a while for some of these lyrics to soak in, but the music is really chill and comforting... I do really like the "Phil Selway-ish" drums during the verses... this song has really grown on me the past week... I think it belonged on the album, no need to make it a bonus track... Matt's guitar tone couldn't get any more weird, which is AWESOME
13) Last Mile Home (Bonus Track) - just plain, no opinion really, lol... good slow close to an album I guess

Rating: 7/10 - WAY more interesting and diverse than CAS, but with that being said, the album doesn't feel like a whole (yet), whereas CAS had this "complete" quality to it (I know some folks will disagree with that)... same thing with OBTN... but anyway, this isn't a comparison. All in all, this is a great album filled with great tones and catchy beats. It's really encouraging to hear some songs like "Temple", "Tonight", and "Coming Back Again", and then hear that they can still rock the house down with "Supersoaker" and "Don't Matter". I'm not sure how a lot of songs will sound live, but I will definitely be at the show to find out. It also scares me how good Nathan and Jared can "lock in" now. KOL are a musical force to be reckoned with.

[Erin]

Dummy (but genuine) question: what is locking in?

I'll post my song-by-song opinions when I'm online, but I can already say I agree with you on a few songs.

[SlowNight91]

Not a dummy question at all. Actually, it's a very good question. "Locking in" simply refers to the rhythm section of the band (bass and drums) being extremely compatible and in sync. When you play music with other people in a band, the drums and bass are mainly what keep and alter the timing of the song. If your bass player and drum player cannot get on the same page, then the band will more than likely never even write a song. Jared and Nathan were always pretty decent together, but have REALLY improved on the last two albums (CAS and MB). They are a huge part, if not the most vital, in the development and evolution of KOL's "sound". Caleb's voice could be the only thing that is more important.

[dshew89]

I like rock city is sounds exactly like it should be at the beginning of ASH, maybe b4 4kicks. I like temple, it is the song that best describes the theme of MB, it is progressive and way different than anything KOL has done b4. Other honorable mentions are comeback story, supersoaker, it dont matter, and maybe tonight. Everything else sounds pretty terrible.

[Erin]

Thanks for the explanation. Right after I read it, I saw Jared mention 'locking in' as well, and from what he said about it, I would've gotten it too.

This is my song by song review:
Supersoaker Upbeat, poppy rock song. (I use 'poppy' in way of that you can dance to it, more so than to Don't Matter.) Still think it's a great choice for the first single because it's not too far a departure from the likes of Sex on Fire & Radioactive.
Rock City Kinda laid back on the rhythm section, while the guitar sounds (almost too) aggressive next to it. Caleb sounds like he's on the very top of what his voice can reach in the verses; I sorta imagine him to have sung this on tippy-toes.
Don't Matter I think this would've been an excellent album opener with the counting in & that crazy scream before the music kicks in very 'in your face.' The boys are surprised people hear QOTSA in it, when they find it more Thin Lizzy inspired. Maybe it's the cowbell? I have to take back my comment that I made when I only heard the 30sec snippet, I don't think the musc is too over-produced. I wonder if the effects on Caleb's voice are to mask the lyrics a bit?
Beautiful War It's a real downer for me to have this right after Don't Matter, and it also just doesn't quite live up to the band's enthusiasm for it. One interviewer asked about 'the choir' towards the end (which turned out to be Angelo), but I don't hear anything like that at all. I do like the cadence of the rhythm section & the build up of the guitar, but I think the song is too long.
Temple Next single please! ) (The sticker on the album name-drops Supersoaker, Beautiful War and this one, so hopefully..!) It's easy to digest & grows really quickly on you with a catchy chorus. I find it has more of a Thin Lizzy vibe than Don't Matter.
Wait For Me Slow grower for me personally. I didn't get why everyone loved it when it was first made available, and I doubt it will ever get equal with Arizona, but I do love it now. Relaxed song.
Family Tree Another big fave! Fun, funky song. Kinda quirky to have the break right after the 'breaking me down' line. This is gonna be massive live, with everyone clapping along (half the people clapping out of tune, of course ).
Comeback Story Intro makes me think of Paul Simon's Graceland (or maybe Vampire Weekend, depending on how old you are ). The 'now I got your shoes' joke is a funny joke, but with the repetition of it being used on the chorus it's getting old real fast which is a shame. I love the strings, esp. the string plucking right before they full-on come in.
Tonight This almost gets the same over-all verdict as Rock City, though I'd say there's a slight 80's U2 vibe right before the guitar solo kicks in. More than in Rock City, I love how the guitar screetches. Another song that probably could've been shorter.
Coming Back Again I would've loved this song to have been the album closer. I just love this, straight forward rocker, really love the guitar on it.
On The Chin Big favourite of Caleb, but unfortunately my least favourite. I do like the country vibe but that's about it. I don't think it works as (the regular version's) album closer, esp. not after Coming Back Again.
Work On Me Pleasant little ditty, could've easily been on CAS too.
Last Mile Home Catchy, easy to sing along to chorus. I love the cadence of the rhythm section.

I absolutely love a lot of the songs on the album, but I don't understand a single bit of the order of the songs. Tempo wise, it's on/off/on/off like a flickerng neon sign. Now, if that's exactly what they tried to do, then props for originality, but it misses a natural flow, imo.
I love that over-all it's a proper rock album again; I love CAS' laidback vibe too, but I prefer to rock out, so I'm glad to hear the guitar stand out a lot more again.

[nickelette424]

Okay, my turn I guess.

SUPERSOAKER - I really like this song. It's nice and catchy and judging from my friends, good choice as a lead single.

ROCK CITY - This is the song, to me, that is most likely to fit with ASH. I love it. It's old school KOL quirky. I imagine this song will do well live.

DON'T MATTER - I get the QOTSA comparison. It sounds like something from Rated R or Songs For The Deaf. It is a little over produced, but not to the point that it bothers me. Still a really good, fun rocker. Love the dirty lyrics, lol.

BEAUTIFUL WAR - Like Erin, I am kind of disappointed with this one. It's pretty and all, but it seems to lack something. Interestingly, I didn't feel that way with the live version that we first heard. It's just not the epic song we were sold on. I still like it though, especially the line, "the tip of your tongue, the top of your lungs".

TEMPLE - Perfect pop/rock. Just perfect. It should definitely be the next single. I love that it is something out of the norm for them and they just nailed it.

WAIT FOR ME - I loved this one from the first listen weeks ago. Simple and beautiful. It's more beautiful that Beautiful War. Definitely one of my favorites.

FAMILY TREE - This one is gonna be a huge hit live. Hard not to love it. I do wish that in the studio version that Nathan's backing vocals were higher in the mix in the verses. Small complaint though.

COMEBACK STORY - This song is just so sweet and pretty. Yes the joke lyric is silly, but the vocal melody and the vocal itself are just so lovely that I don't care. I really love the strings and the backing vocals as well. This song just makes me smile.

TONIGHT - This is another favorite of mine. Sounds like something that would fit nicely on BOTT or even OBTN. Double edged sword with this one in that the pitch is probably too high for Caleb to perform live, but it would loose a lot of if it was changed. I hope they decide to perform it every once in a while (particularly when I am in attendance).

COMING BACK AGAIN - My favorite on the album. Another song that is out of the norm for them and a little on the indie side and again, they nailed it. I can't describe why it is my favorite, but it is the one I just keep coming back to. I love the energy of it. I hope this somehow gets into the set, although I doubt it.

ON THE CHIN - I wanna like it because Caleb loves it so much so I imagine he put a lot into it. I just don't . This is the only track on the regular album that I don't like.

WORK ON ME - I feel like I shouldn't like this song for some reason, but I guess I do. I enjoy it when I happen to venture past On the Chin.

LAST MILE HOME - I think this song sounds cheesy and boring. Can definitely live without it.

All in all, I really love this album with only one song that I don't like. I do feel like these bonus/b-side tracks are the weakest they've ever had. Those always tend to be really strong, but that's not the case here. I would tentatively rank this album 4th behind 1. ASH 2. BOTT 3. YAYM. I say tentatively because there are epic songs OBTN and I am not ready to commit MB being better yet.

[sarah///]

Gonna make this brief as I'm falling asleep at the keyboard (these KoL tickets don't pay for themselves!)

Supersoaker - I've loved this since the first minute I heard it. Not one of my all time favourites but it's a great song
to jump along to live and it's fun! (Sometimes I feel like these "elitist" music snobs think bands should take themselves a lot more seriously, lighten up!) Oh, and the BASS! Reminds me of BOTT (not compared to any particular song just how loud it is)

Rock City - I like this one. I love the first verse and the chorus is good, but I feel like there is no raspiness or rawness to
Caleb's voice like you'd get on Supersoaker or previously. I still enjoy it, just second verse I feel like it's a bit shouty?

Don't Matter - All I'm gonna say is YES!

Beautiful War - First time I heard this was at the Radio One gig a couple of weeks ago when Zane Lowe played it. Sadly alot of people were talking over it but I knew it was gonna be pretty special. And it is! To me it's like MB's "Arizona", but I do agree it is wrongly placed. I think it should be the last track to fit in with Arizona and Pickup Truck being closers also. I love the bongos at the end

Temple - Really catchy. Definitely single material but good single material. The start reminds me a bit of The Cure. It's always stuck in my head.

Wait For Me - Just beautiful. I know it's not the most original song and the lyrics can be a samey (to be it's like a slow version of On Call, but more emotional) but I've always enjoyed it. And it's bloody amazing live.

Family Tree - Probably my favourite off the album. Soooo good, it's like a grown up YAYM song! And I love the gang vocals! Nathan's backing vocals remind me a bit of Smoke & Jackal.

Comeback Story - I know the lyrics in the chorus are a bit lame (cute story behind it though) but I really love this song. Find myself listening to it a lot.

Tonight - Really dig this too! Definitely in theme with progressing on from CAS but I think it's one of the best on the album, think there's some slight elements in the guitar from BOTT there too.

Coming Back Again - I love this one! I try not to read too much into their music even though I geek out majorly over BOTT because I don't think it's healthy since they've matured to do so, just if I like it, then I like it! and I do very much so, I like the chorus a lot!

On The Chin - Took me ages to give this a second listen but I was glad I did! It's really good if you're walking home drunk in the dark and it's all quiet outside with it being all countryfied guitars. Definitely a grower.

Work On Me - Typical KoL leaving a corker of a song to be a B-side! I love "I know that you were born to shine, you gotta shine before you blow 'em away". Already one of my favourite lines on the album.

Last Mile Home - As I said there isn't a song I dislike on the album but I don't find this one overly memorable to be honest. I can see it being never played live. It also really reminds me of something but I can't think what. I do like Caleb's voice in this and the opening few lines.


I think that was a load of mumbo jumbo but basically, as a whole I think it's one of their best. I like that they're maturing but that this captures their youth as they would be now.

My favourites are - Family Tree, Supersoaker, Don't Matter, Work On Me, Temple, Comeback Story, Tonight, Beautiful War.

(I am aware that's 3/4's of the album)