Okay, I'm finally going to write my opinions about Sleeping With Sirens' latest release, "Feel".
If you read my previous two posts, I realize I don't seem too excited about the songs that they released. After I heard "The Best There Ever Was", I decided to stop ruining the album for myself and just wait until I got it in the mail, the reason being that I was getting more and more frustrated with each song.
I received my pre-order bundle in the mail on June 6th, and Feel has pretty much been on repeat since. There's a few reasons for that. For one thing, like I mentioned, I wasn't happy with what I was hearing, so I wanted to see if maybe constantly listening to it would make me like it. Sometimes music works like that...I can hate it, and I'll hear it over and over, and it'll grow on me. It's funny because that's what happened the first time I ever heard Mayday Parade (who is now my favorite band by far). The first song I heard by them was "Jersey", I believe, and honestly, I hated it. But I don't like to give up on music until I realize there's just no way I'll ever get around to liking it.
Anyways, when I heard "Low", (which was released as the first single off the album), I loved it and it set my expectations extremely high. I think "Alone (ft. MGK)" came out next. I will be the first to admit that right when MGK's part kicked in, I was INSTANTLY turned off. I literally paused it and was like "really?" I know I shouldn't judge and you've got to give stuff a chance and keep an open mind and all that jazz, but I hated the thought of Sleeping With Sirens collaborating with a rap artist. Then "The Best There Ever Was", came out, and that was it for me. I had accepted the fact that my review of the album was going to be like my review of The Summer Set's latest album, "Legendary".
Brutal.
I stopped listening to the individual singles that were being dropped and just kind of ignored the band and all the buzz about the album all together until I finally got mine. Upon first listening to it, my feelings remained the same. I didn't like the sound of "Feel", "Here We Go" caught my attention but not to a great extent, "Free Now" seemed forced and rushed, "I'll Take You There" was good, but again, not the SWS I had come to know, I didn't like "Congratulations" at all, "Deja Vu" was nice, I liked how fast paced it was, but it just seemed so...one dimensional, I guess, "These Things I've Done" was my favorite, "Sorry" was a big step up from the rest of the songs, and "Satellites" was a good way to wrap it all up, in my opinion.
Remember, that's just what I thought upon listening to it all the way through for the first time, and that's why I didn't want to sit down and bash it, because I like to give music a chance. I'm glad I did; because now, I absolutely LOVE almost every song on the album. Instead of continuing to ramble, I'll just get into the song-by-song. (I'm going to give each song a star rating out of 5 as well *****)
Track 1: Feel **
My opinion of this song actually hasn't changed a great amount. I still am not really feeling it. It's just...it leaves me waiting, like I'm waiting for the part that draws me in. It's not a horrible song, I just wait and wait and wait and then it ends and I'm like "...that's it?" It's a good way to start off the album, I suppose, since it sets the standards kind of low and every song after it is better. Maybe that was the plan...
Track 2: Here We Go ****
I love this song and everything about it. It renewed my faith in Sleeping With Sirens. I thought they were trying to go a different direction, maybe change their sound. I understand that as a band, sometimes that's what you have to do in order to grow your fan base and yourself, but some bands just do it so drastically (cough THE SUMMER SET cough) that they stray from their roots and what got them so many fans in the first place. This song made me realize that SWS is growing, but in a positive way. "Here We Go" is fast-paced and energetic. I love Kellin's vocals on this one and the band sounds amazing. The only reason it doesn't have five stars is because the lyrics are a tad bit one dimensional for my liking.
Track 3: Free Now **
I don't know where to start with this one...it's in the same boat as "Feel", my opinion on it hasn't really changed. I have so much respect for Kellin and anyone who had a parent or guardian who wasn't there for them, and I'm not trying to dis that in any way, but this song just seems so cliché and corny. The lyrics are heartfelt, and I get that it's a personal subject for him and that he's drawing from said personal experiences, but it seems forced, like someone said "Kellin, sit down and write a song about your past and your daughter and how everyone wants peace etc etc". It makes me feel like he personally didn't want to write it, like it wasn't a song he was inspired to write. The first thought that I had was that they were trying to make another "A Trophy Fathers' Trophy Son", this is nowhere near as good, and I don't think they'll ever come close to it again.
Track 4: Alone (ft. MGK) ****
This song was the one that made me realize SWS was going in a different direction, and probably for the reason you assume: the rapping. I personally hadn't really ever heard of Machine Gun Kelly before this...shame on me, whatever. I hate rap and I don't think it's music, and I don't think it reqires talent, sorry. It's just my opinion. Either way, when I first heard this, I didn't like the song as a whole, but I couldn't really tell you why. I just think the general idea of SWS collaborating with a rapper turned me off to the whole song. Because now that I've heard it so many times, I love it and it's up there with my favorite on the entire album. It's one of those songs SO many people can relate to, myself included. It's such a shared fear with so many people in the world, and I know how many people probably were like "that's exactly how I feel!" when they heard it. There's a lot of fans who probably appreciate it because it comforts them, they see that they're not alone with the fear of /being/ alone. It's not five stars because of the rap, I still don't think it fits.
Track 5: I'll Take You There (ft. Shayley Bourget) *****
First song that got five stars, yay! It definitely deserves it. I don't have much to say about it other than how amazing it is. It's such an all around good song. Good vocals, good music, the featured artist (though his part is extremely small) actually makes it better, the lyrics are great, it's Sleeping With Sirens at their best. Simple as that.
Track 6: The Best There Ever Was ***
This song is...different. Right off the bat, I was a little disappointed. "You're a hypocrite, you're so full of shit." Really, Kellin...? Could you get anymore cliché? Sorry, I just didn't like that. And his vocals on this one bother me. But I like the chorus a lot, and I like that it keeps up with the fast-moving pace of the rest of the album. I really, really, really don't like the...I guess vocals is the word I'm looking for...from 2:07-2:27. It's some kind of attempt at screaming/growling and it just sounds horrible to me. This song seems like an attempt at this record's own "Do It Now, Remember It Later", but as with "Free Now"'s attempt at "A Trophy Fathers' Trophy Son", it just doesn't measure up.
Track 7: Low ****
I've already reviewed this one, and my opinion remains the same, it's amazing. Check it out here.
Track 8: Congratulations (ft. Matty Mullins) **
This song isn't amazing and it isn't bad. I personally think it was so hyped up to be amazing because Matty Mullins has a part in it, and many SWS fans are also fans of him. I don't think it worked out at all. They just don't flow. It's nothing personal, it's just what I think. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this one, and I feel like people are lying to themselves, forcing themselves to believe that they like it; wether it be for Sleeping With Sirens, Matty Mullins, or their own sake; you all just need to stop and admit it wasn't as amazing as you thought it'd be. But, like I said, it's a good song. Just not a stand out.
Track 9: Deja Vu ***
I'd love to rate this one higher, I just think the lyrics are too simple. I love the song, don't get me wrong. But as a (self-proclaimed) blogger, I feel I have to be honest and not just say "every song on this album is amazing, the whole thing is perfect, there's not a bad song" etc. etc. This is one of the most-played songs in my library off this particular album for a reason; it's catchy and I looooove singing to it. It plays a bit on Kellin's already irresistable sex appeal and gets a little more scandalous than any of their prior songs, and I think that turned a lot of people away. I might be wrong when I say that, but I've seen a lot of negative comments specifically about the context of the song. I think, overall, it's one of the better ones off the record.
Track 10: Sorry *****
This song, to me, is absolutely perfect in every way. It almost seems a ballad when it first starts, and then you get into the rock that we all love, paired with Kellin's voice, yet maintaining a gentle feel the whole way through, not to mention it's a song about something guys RARELY say, so it makes all of us Kellin Quinn fangirls love him that much more. I don't what else to say other than that it's perfect and possibly my favorite track off the album.
Track 11: Satellites ****
When I originally heard the album, I thought this was the only song I'd end up liking. Obviously, I was wrong, but still, I think this song is an amazing way to tie up the record and it was one of the ones that made me realize that the guys are growing up and trying new things. It's another one of those songs I think a lot of kids will listen to when maybe they're feeling lost or alone. It's a song that'll bring comfort and help a lot of people through a lot of things.
Overall, the album (mathematically speaking) gets a 3.5 from me. It's blowing me away and growing on me as I continue to listen to it, and I think, like all of their other music, I will continue to listen to it for a long time.
If you've never heard of Sleeping With Sirens, or if you're a fan and for some reason haven't listened to this album yet, do yourself a favor and listen to it, buy it, go see them at Warped, support them. They deserve it.
