LINKIN PARK "Hybrid Theory"
Linkin Park
“Hybrid Theory”
Warner Bros.
“Shut up when I’m talking to you,” the
repeatedly-screamed phrase that made Linkin Park’s “One
Step Closer” a radio hit, leads one to imagine that the group
isn’t capable of much more depth than that found in this
refrain. But, in fact, the line isn’t representative of
Linkin Park’s writing talent and the song is surprisingly
just one of several excellent tunes on the album. Linkin
Park’s blend of rap/rock is a far cry from the style
popularized by other bands like Limp Bizkit, who rely on one singer
with limited vocal range, a fondness for obscenities and a lot of
pent-up anger. Instead, Linkin Park has two talented singers and
songs that, while angry, are entirely obscenity-free and controlled
enough to show off the skills of the rest of the band. The two
singers are what make Linkin Park’s sound unique. Mike
Shinoda, the rap vocalist, has a clear, strong voice, but the real
gem of the group is singer Chester Bennington. Not only can he
scream with the best of the rap/rockers, but he is equally powerful
while singing in a softer tone, or holding a note in the background
while Shinoda raps. The two integrate their voices by often singing
at the same time or overlapping, so there is no disorienting switch
from hip-hop to rock in the middle of each song. The best of Linkin
Park’s songs, including “In the End,”
“Papercut” and “Runaway” are good because
of this integration and musical control. “By Myself,”
the only song on the album that lacks these qualities, contains a
screeching, annoying chorus that makes the song hard to listen to.
“A Place for My Head,” a song comparable to “One
Step Closer” in tone and energy, is another of the best songs
on the album, and surpasses the hit in its heartfelt lyrics and
excellent guitar work by Brad Delson. Linkin Park sets itself apart
by going farther than the typical rap/rock group by using two
well-integrated singers and crafting consistently good songs.
Mary Williams
Rating: 8
Paloalto
“Paloalto”
Sony/Columbia
Following in the footsteps of contemporary bands such as
Radiohead, U2 and Coldplay, Paloalto is like a troublesome younger
brother ““ mimicking everything that has already been done and
expecting equal praise. Paloalto’s self-titled debut album
sounds more like a copy of an unreleased Radiohead album than an
original collection of ideas. Instead of taking its name from the
Silicon Valley city, Paloalto’s name is more likely inspired
by a song that appeared as a B-side for a Radiohead single. What
was the name of the song? “Palo Alto,” of course. In
addition, the high-pitched crooner of Paloalto, James Grundler,
seems to enjoy singing in nearly the exact style and pitch as
Radiohead front man, Thom Yorke. Many of Paloalto’s songs are
also Radiohead-esque in both their melodies and their spacey feel.
For example, Paloalto’s third track “Monolith”
uncannily resembles the Radiohead song “Street Spirit.”
However, where Radiohead has poignant, thought-provoking lyrics,
Paloalto comes off as immature and whiny. Half the time the
lyrics attempt to be profound, but simply come across as
superficial. In the song “Swim,” Grundler cries,
“Pick my head up, but the sound is too much a problem when
they sell, sell, sell my religion.” The few tracks in which
Paloalto drifts into originality, such as “Home,” sound
both blasé and unenergetic. These few tracks prove that
without a wannabe Thom Yorke singer, Paloalto would simply be
another one of the myriad of alternative groups that seem to sound
exactly the same. Surprisingly, the mediocre album was produced by
one of the most influential producers of the ’90s, Rick
Rubin, who is best known for co-founding Def Jam Recordings.
Radiohead once sang that the unoriginal mediocre music played on
the radio today “buzzes like a fridge,” and is just
noise that is ignored by the majority of its listeners. Despite its
attempts to sound like its rock heroes, Paloalto may be buzzing
more than any other band out there. Antero Garcia Rating:
2
Scarface “The Last Of A Dying Breed” Rap A
Lot Records
Although Scarface knows it feels good to be a gangsta, he also
knows that gangstas are not headed towards extinction anytime soon.
Therefore, listeners of his new album may be left a little confused
as to why he claims to be “The Last Of A Dying Breed.”
The sixth mainstream release by Geto Boys member Scarface solidly
follows the funky sound of rap’s “dirty south,”
while also romanticizing his life on the streets, and the hardships
that he has lived through. Even before he was born, Scarface
explains on the title track, that he had to struggle to even
survive his mother’s pregnancy. “I don’t remember
much about being born,/ but I do remember this:/ I was conceived on
February 10th/ complications detected in my early months of
forming.” To add to the dark ambiance of the title track, the
background beat includes the sound of a baby crying as well as the
ominous sound of thunder. Besides the sound effects that are heard
throughout the album, the music on each track is both surprising
and enjoyable. Unlike his colleagues, Scarface opts not to use any
well-known samples for his songs. Instead, synthesized orchestral
beats create both an outlandish and a retro feeling to the album.
While the music on Scarface’s latest product may be atypical
of a rap album, Scarface still stays true to the genre by featuring
a slew of guests. Scarface’s impressive guest list includes
well-known rappers UGK, Jayo Felony, Daz, Redman, and Too Short. In
fact one of the best tracks on the album, “O.G. To Me,”
has a jaw-dropping performance from Kurupt.  Â
However, not all of the guests seem to fit into Scarface’s
unique sound. The weakest track on the album, “Get
Out,” features Jay-Z. Although he is a master at his own
style of rap, Jay-Z sounds both monotonous and out of place when
rapping alongside Scarface. As an album, “The Last Of A Dying
Breed” is also out of place when put next to his other
recordings, both with the Geto Boys and as a solo artist. From his
hard-hitting debut solo album, “Mr. Scarface is Back,”
to the Geto Boy’s hit single from the movie Office Space,
“Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta” Scarface’s
newest album truly has a style of it’s own. “The Last
Of A Dying Breed” is a testament to Scarface’s success
and proof that he, like the movie character of the same name, has
risen from the streets to become one of the top moguls of the rap
scene. Antero Garcia Rating: 8
Blur “Best of Blur” Virgin
Records
Although they single-handedly reinvigorated the British pop
music genre in the 1990s, the members of the band Blur are still
relatively unknown in the United States. “Best Of
Blur,” the group’s latest album, highlights the
band’s contributions to the modern music scene, including
early unpolished songs as well as more recent alternative songs
such as it’s huge rock anthem “Song 2.” From its
small beginnings as a teen idol bubble gum pop band, Blur has never
given up its ambition to have a unique sound, consistently writing
songs that cross many different types of music. “Charmless
Man” includes a shrill chorus of “na na nas” and
lyrics that simply describe an arrogant nameless and conceited man.
The song is silly and fun to sing along with; it is a typical, but
well-produced pop song. With an equally pleasant pop sound
“Tender,” features Blur’s singer, Damon Albarn.
Instead of simply belting out the gentle lyrics in his English
accent, he uses a thick layer of several voices to make the song
have a gospel-like feel. Because it revolutionized the British pop
genre, Blur is responsible for leading the way for many other
British bands, including Oasis, Verve, and Pulp. Even though it may
have been a major influence to many contemporary bands, Blur is not
a band of the past. In fact, “Best Of Blur” includes a
brand new song, “Music is My Radar,” which highlights
Blur’s continuous mission to create high quality and original
music. In addition to hearing a brand new song, Blur offers its
listeners the chance to hear many of its older songs in a new light
by including a second disc of a live concert featuring many of
Blur’s most well-known tunes. Songs such as the bands early
hit “Girls and Boys” sound refreshingly pleasant by
being played with the added enthusiasm that only a live concert can
offer. Too often in the music world, pop bands are written off as a
temporary hit. “Best of Blur” is a testament to
Blur’s ability to not only make one great pop song after
another, but to continue to do it for over a decade, without
diminishing in either quality or creativity. Antero Garcia
Rating: 7