Slick stadium rock.
It's been a long while since Blue October released their debut album back in 1998, now they're back on Universal, the major label that dropped them early in 2000 because of poor album sales. They are having no trouble shifting records these days though and are currently trying to break the UK which seems a moot point considering how popular they are in the US.
Following up on the recent single release of 'Hate Me', their new album, 'Foiled', follows in the same footsteps with their poppy, radio friendly stadium rock sound making up the majority of the album. Their slick sound is probably familiar to most people by now because of the amount of prime time radio play their latest single received. When they're in full rock mode they make a noise that falls somewhere between Staind and Disturbed with a hint of Creed, but they also have a quieter side, string heavy - often using the warm tones of acoustic guitars and cello to add to the emotive effect, these 'ballads' are really reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's output, which might seem like a strange contrast but has a lot to do with Justin Furstenfeld's husky vocal style and the occasional electro element that gets thrown in to the mix.
The album as a whole doesn't pack as many punches as you might expect, the first half is a lot heavier and has most of the rocky and catchy tunes (including their recent single), like opener 'You Make Me Smile' with its really sing along chorus and hook laden tune. Later on the album tends more towards slower, quieter tracks and unfortunately it can get a little wearing and tedious because within the two types of song there isn't really much variation and the 'talky' vocal style starts to irritate after a while. Coming in at a whopping 68 minutes long and 15 tracks you really have to make the effort to see the album through until the end because even though it has its moments it doesn't come through on the promise of sustained emotional impact that 'Hate Me' seemed to be hinting at. Just as with bands like Nickleback, the focus on the more radio friendly indie elements and the high production values that soften the edges, makes this album one for the mainstream rock fans and strangles their potential to branch out and attract heavier rock fans. Mind you, with all the money they're making it's doubtful that they care.