311's tenth studio album, Universal Pulse, was released today.
The album, an eight-song affair on the band's new 311 Records, is their first independent release, and judging by some of the experimental flourishes it's apparent that Nick Hexum, SA Martinez, Tim Mahoney, Aaron "P-Nut" Willsand Chad Sexton enjoyed spreading their creative wings a bit.
Again produced by Bob Rock, who worked on 2009's Uplifter,Universal Pulse contains some of the best music 311 has released in recent memory. Energetic album opener Time Bomb is vintage 311: dancehall/rock beats, swagger, vocals delivered by both Hexum and Martinez, and top-notch instrumentation and percussion by Mahoney, Wills and Sexton.
The straightforward Wild Nights is up next, a hard-driving song that wouldn't have been out of place on 1999's Soundsystem. Hexum asks where he'd be without the wild nights/barely getting by/the days of getting high, while a guitar flurry from Mahoney gives the song a peppy energy. 311 has a distinctive sound, and it's no more evident on songs like this.
Sunset in July, the band's ode to touring and celebrating its fans each summer on the Unity Tour, has a chunky, guitar-heavy and very infectious chorus accentuated by dual vocals between Hexum and Martinez. It's a great 311 single, primed for singalongs in concert.
The last five songs on the album allow the band to revisit their past a bit. Trouble has a slick, groove-laden beginning, before giving way to a dreamy verse where Hexum sings about his past. I was always looking for trouble/Trouble, it always followed me, he says, and as he grew older he came to realize that that kind of lifestyle wasn't healthy. There's a lot of soul-searching on Universal Pulse; both Trouble and Wild Nights are delivered from the perspective of someone looking back on past experiences and comparing them to the present.
Count Me In is the album's strongest moment, an absolutely pitch-perfect example of 311's ability to create some of the best funk-rock out there. Mahoney's ethereal riffage gives the song a sparkly, atmospheric vibe that is aided by its infectious rhythm and delicious groove. Count Me In is jammy and reminiscent again of Soundsystem, something sure to appeal to old-school fans of the band. Lyrically, the song concerns being totally satisfied, in love or otherwise. We can make war or we can make love/Til I figure out how you know what I'm thinking of/You are under my skin, Hexum sings. The subject matter, combined with Mahoney's precise guitar work and Wills' typically impressive bass help make the song stand out above the rest.
Rock On is a down-tuned, rap-heavy affair directed at someone who needs guidance. The song's chorus of You're cruisin' don't even care about what you're losing/You're using anything that comes your way here today/gone tomorrow all about beg, steal and borrow/Can't stop, won't stop til there's nothing left but sorrow is delivered with such energy that it really resonates with the listener. It's one of the more "serious" songs they've made in years, mostly due to its subject matter and general darker feel. 311 haven't made a song like this in quite some time.
Weightless has more dreamy guitars from Mahoney and an accessibility to it that will appeal to fans of 311's more upbeat, cheery songs. Echoed guitars and synth whip around while Hexum and Martinez sing about being weightless in the scope of the universe. The song is light and airy, fitting given the subject matter.
Universal Pulse concludes with A Ways to Go, another high point on the record. It would have fit well on 1997's Transistor. Hexum and Martinez sing about searching for something and being "a ways to go" from finding it, while the guitar work gives the song a flair that would fit equally alongside the more experimental aspects of Transistor. It's a throwback song, for sure, one that should appeal to fans of the band's older work significantly. Wills delivers a tasty bass solo toward the end, too, to add the proverbial cherry on top of what is already a delicious sundae of a song.
With Universal Pulse, 311 has crafted a great record. Eight tracks might seem like a short album, but the band really trimmed the fat well. Whereas Uplifter was a solid record that contained a few hiccups and misfires, Universal Pulse is a concise, focused album that finds the band at its absolute best. Not many bands can say they've been around twenty years with exactly the same lineup, staying true to themselves throughout and remaining relevant by touring relentlessly. 311 can say that, and it's a testament to their versatility. The songs on this album demonstrate that more than effectively.
The band's current summer Unity Tour with Sublime with Rome will hit both Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine on Saturday, August 20th and at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Sunday, August 21st. They're playing most of the new songs on the tour, so get your tickets and join the party.
http://www.examiner.com/311s-universal-pulse-a-testament
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