As 2007 gets off to a rousing start, it’s time to take a look forward to what we can expect in the music world this year. Below are my Five Most Anticipated Albums. Excited? You should be!
Silverchair: When Silverchair’s last album, “Diorama,” came out in 2002, it was called “one of the boldest musical statements ever made by an Australian rock band.” Even Bono of U2 told Rolling Stone that you should “swim to Australia to hear them if you have to.” Yes, it’s true that “Diorama” took a drastic turn away from the band’s original grunge sound. However, their new album “Young Modern” should surpass “Diorama” easily. The guys have had a four year break, allowing for plenty of writing and recording and taking the time to do things just right. There will most likely be some orchestration and electronica over the ‘Chair’s normal heavy rock, as we saw them do in “Diorama,” but expect them to take this album even further. Hopefully this album will also see success in America; the band hasn’t had commercial success here since their 1999 release “Neon Ballroom.” “Young Modern” will drop in late March or early April on Eleven: A Music Company.
The Smashing Pumpkins: This is the Most Anticipated I never thought I’d get to write. When I heard about Billy Corgan’s full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune, promising to bring back the band, I doubted he could do it. Now he’s proved me wrong. While the lineup of the band won’t be entirely the same (Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are the only original members returning), the sound will most likely be assuredly Pumpkins, with haunting lyrics and soaring melodies. We can expect to see Corgan’s brilliant songwriting dominate the album, hopefully with tinges of growth and maturity that weren’t in previous Pumpkin albums. The album is due in late spring or early summer.
The Used: They were supposed to release an album last year. They didn’t. Things within the band got rocky, and eventually led to the replacement of Branden Steineckert with Dan Whitesides. Because of all this, expect their new album (which, yes, will be out this year) to be a little tougher than their previous works. Actually, it’ll probably be a lot tougher. Also, don’t expect it to be a concept album—guitarist Quinn Allman has already nixed that theory by telling Alternative Press, “Each one of our songs is its own concept.” The album has been promised for February or March on Warner Brothers.
Aiden: These guys are young and talented. However, their previous efforts, including their most recent “Nightmare Anatomy,” have all been lackluster. They were so obsessed with being “unique” that the quality of the music suffered, and they wound up sounding like every other teen goth act in America. Hopefully their new album will show us that they have matured a little bit, have stopped limiting themselves, and can play with the big boys. I’m expecting more singing and less screaming from frontman wiL Francis, as well as lyrics that a normal human can comprehend. Expect the album to drop sometime in July on Victory Records.
HIM: This band has long had a bit of a cult following in America; by now, we’ve all seen their trademark Heartagram plastered somewhere. The Finnish quintet stunned many with their last album, “Dark Light,” which was much more pop-sounding than their previous efforts. “Dark Light” was also their final push (and first real success) in America, thanks in part to the support of MTV star and skateboarder Bam Margera. However, don’t expect their next album to continue the pop vibes. They’ll most likely head back to their monster rock roots, leaving the pop behind. They’ll probably also experiment some with acoustic sounds. Expect the new album to drop in September on Sire Records.
Also expected to drop albums this year are Fall Out Boy, Sevendust, Good Charlotte, Modest Mouse, Joss Stone, Aerosmith, The Black Eyed Peas, Dido, Jimmy Eat World, R.E.M., Britney Spears, U2, and 80s stars Duran Duran. Stay tuned to the Pharos Blog to see reviews of many of these albums as the year progresses!
(Have an album you’d like to see reviewed here? Let Sarah Wilkinson know at Wilkinson_sa@wvwc.edu !)
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