Blue October – Foiled

There are two reasons I wanted to hear this CD. The first is that everyone seemed to be talking about their hit single, and when I finally heard it, I liked it. There was something about the sincerity and passion in the singer’s voice that triggered my attention immediately, and I knew I wanted to hear more. Then, a few weeks later I found out Blue October were coming to Edmonton to play a show. Before I decided whether I wanted to go or not, I knew I had to hear the album and now that I’ve heard it, all I can say is “wow.” And not only just one “wow”, but in fact, many “wow”s have been uttered from my lips this past hour.

The first “wow” came as I realized that Foiled was not anything like I was expecting. After hearing the single, I was expecting something harder, faster, angrier and heavier. Something like Three Days Grace or the like. I guess if I had listened to Hate Me more in depth I would’ve realized that that was the furthest thing from what I’d be getting. While there are still a few harder, heavier songs – What If We Couldbeing a perfect example of that – most of the songs are slower, more emotional and softer with just a tinge of the heavy rock angst. Yeah, there’s still a ton of distortion, on both the vocals and the guitars, but there’s also so many other layers that just make you stop and utter, for the second time, “wow.”

“Wow, the vocals are amazing” is one of many thoughts that pop is as you study the many layers that compose Blue October vocals. The vocals are moving, passionate, and sincerely sincere. They aren’t overly polished or the “hit” sound, they are worn and harsh in the vein of Adam Gontier, Brendan Kelly or even Chuck Ragan. But while they similar to those other singers, he uses his voice in a completely alternate fashion, going for a more mellow, low-key delivery instead of the angry, fast paced ways of his fellow musicians. On top of Justin Furstenfeld’s phenomenal vocals, the backup singers are also capable of hitting that perfect pitch. Then, they throw another curve ball forcing you to say “wow” with a sense of pure astonishment when Imogen Heap comes on in Congratulations and lends her contradicting vocals to the mix.

Of course, you’re still not done uttering “wow” because Blue October are far from finished yet. As Furstenfeld pulls you in with his seductive voice you become even more entranced as you hear and truly listen to the lyrics of lost love, new adventures and introspection. While there isn’t a single line or phrase that stands out – although Hate Me‘s “Playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home” does tend to strike a memorable chord – it is when you read the entire lyrics and listen to the song completely that you get the chills. So once again, “wow.”

So as you can guess, I like this CD. Yeah, it’s not an overly energizing record, nor is it one that I will play constantly, but when you sit and and truly listen to it – listen to the steady flow of the violin, the passionate vocals and steady melody – all you can say is “wow.”