Everyone’s had a friend they’ve grown apart from. Different directions were taken and it’s not that they ended in hate, they just weren’t what they were originally. And deep down, you still love them for the memories and respect who they’ve become, it’s just not you. I just broke down many high school hallway lives and how I feel about The Used’s Vulnerable.
It’s understood they couldn’t stay the same a decade later, but I’ll give them credit for one thing, Vulnerable isn’t like the forgotten Artwork. This being first album off a major label is like a fusion of In Love and Death and Lies for the Liars. It has the love elements of Love along with the theatrical elements of Lies. The stand out characteristic of Vulnerable has to be the Tourette like structure of the songs. “Hand and Faces” and “Now That You’re Dead” both have a way of being in one tempo and then bursting out into another, that can only be called, randomly. I think it gave the record its own personality.
Let’s tear the Band-Aid off now and get to ones they might want to keep off their current sets; the snail paced “Getting Over You” and the replaceable “Kiss It Goodbye.” Phew, glad that part’s over. Now on to the good, which you’ve gotten to hear for a while now. Lead single “I Come Alive” was a smart choice as it’s the most like the sound us older folks fell for in the first place.
The medal for heaviest and best intro goes to “Put Me Out,” while my nominee for next official single is “Shine.” It’s different, but in a “make you gonna bounce way.” Last one to earn some recognition was one already mentioned, ” Now That You’re Dead ” for it’s creepy beginning that left me somewhere in-between the Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” and Chumbawamba (refer to talking part).
The Used has evolved and experimented with something new with each album and Vulnerable is no different. Bert’s vocals continue to get less pissed as the years go by and sometimes I thought I had some random iPod when the music turned into some dubstep like music. And this may not be the sound I fell in love with, but I can’t help but stick around for a band that’s been a staple through adolescence and now a fucked up adult mental state.
Vulnerable is out and about everywhere now. So you can get it on your interwebs or in old fashioned stores like Hot Topic and Best Buy, just to name a few. Then you can haul ass to a show, because they’re back and ready. They’ll be doing a headline tour in May and June and then are adding to Warped’s. “fuck yeah 2002” theme this year.
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