blindsider's Full Review: Don't Tread on Me by 311
Occasionally, we all need our cynical, cold, numbed hearts thawed out a little bit. Yes, yes, and I truly believe that's why bands like 311 exist. Aside from the obvious fact that they have extraordinary musical talent to spare, they have this unmatchable positivity in their music that is so well-known amongst their loyal fanbase. For many years now, they have defied labels and genres, and just when you think they can safely be deemed a 'rock/ska band tinged with reggae and funk', they throw you off one more time. It seems as though it will always be that way. No complaints here.
Don't Tread On Me is the band's latest impressive journey, an 11-track offering that unfortunately runs a bit short, at merely 37:27. Many of their past albums have been similarly concise and brisk, and as much as it'd be cool for some of their songs to be more extensive, it goes well with their style. Often, it gives the listener the effect of not knowing quite what just hit them -- right before they're thrown into a completely different atmosphere, and an entirely different style of song altogether.
Getting things started in all the right ways, "Don't Tread On Me" serves dual roles as the record's title track and as the lead single. I wasn't sure what to think of this song upon hearing it a couple weeks ago on the radio, but my indifference toward it has certainly warmed up to adoration. Leading in with a deep, midtempo reggae groove, the song has 311's trademark optimism and defiance written all over it. "Thank Your Lucky Stars", a punchy nearly spacey rocker with zesty-cool drumming by the great Chad Sexton, is one of the best showcases of the untouchable harmonies created by vocalists Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez. Obviously, this song deals with the simple state of being grateful, but 311 makes the topic slightly more interesting than your average band: "You've got it good / it's not hard to be what you are / so thank your lucky stars."
What may come as surprising to many people is that 311's lighthearted, carefree message can also tend to come off as quite passionate and fiercely full of conviction. It may seem like a bizarre, contradictory mix, but they certainly make it work in songs like "Speak Easy". Hexum & Martinez trade off rapidly on the vocal work, soon compromising in the soaring, instantly memorable chorus that encourages people to relax and to always, well, ya know, refer to the song title. "Waiting" is an absolute smash hit just itching to happen, and it is my personal favorite from Don't Tread On Me, with its jumpy yet smooth tick-tock beat that is invigorating and sublimely relaxing at the same time. Hexum's vocals here are smoother than peanut butter, and the hooky chorus isn't too shabby either: "It seems I'm spending so much time...waiting / and when you can't make up your mind, I'm waiting...for you / if that's what it requires, then waiting's what I'll do / so hurry yourself up, I'm waiting!"
311 ponders war, current events, and the media's apparent need to scare people, while also taking necessary jabs at the often ridiculous nature of today's pop culture in "Solar Flare". The introduction sounds like rumbling thunder, melting into a pounding guitar riff topped by Martinez's fierce vocals alternating unpredictably with Hexum's bitter trills. Martinez sounds rather pissed, and rightfully so: "Porno shows / MTV hoes / and on the radio, it's the same fucking song / that's just the way it goes."
One of the songs that is most similar to 311's earlier work, particularly the sound prominent on From Chaos, is the pensive, uptempo "Long For The Flowers". In this fleeting array of wonderfully vivacious guitars courtesy of no other than Tim Mahoney, Martinez and Hexum seem to ponder the lost simple pleasures of childhood. "Getting Through To Her" is certainly reggae-tinged, with a chorus in the vein of scratchy alternative rock -- however it's really difficult to pin its sound completely down. It opens with some of the most gorgeous guitar work I've heard in years (nearly aquatic sounding, as if it is soaking up your very soul), and it's a touching song about a troubled young girl who has obviously been through some traumatic times: "She thinks her foundation is crumbling away / fault lines in her words open to show a soul disturbed."
Closing the album on a melancholy yet hopeful, naive yet all too experienced note is the slow, nearly ethereal "There's Always An Excuse". The song runs at a little over five minutes, making it the longest track on the record. I raised my eyebrow a bit in the middle of the song -- Mahoney certainly is shredding things up on the guitar, as he ventures into heavier territory than 311 has ever dwelled on previously. And I'm loving it. I'm loving it a lot. 311 has a rare talent of meshing all of the possible emotions into one sound that, when fused together, winds up rather soothing, and everything just gels exquisitely.
The undeniably addictive recipe of 311's originality, positive attitude, clever lyrics and diverse array of sounds, simply cannot go wrong. It is certainly the clear reason for their incredible longevity (quick: name 10 now-popular bands that have gone 8 albums deep without getting stale and/or fading away). Don't Tread On Me is one of the most impressive music releases of 2005, with its even -- but sometimes downright surprising -- mixtures of reggae, pop, rock and...pshh, there is no point in pinning these guys down in a category. Their lively, entertaining music speaks for itself, and will undoubtedly continue to do so for many years to come.
Omaha-bred, Los Angeles-based 311 have released seven studio albums (four Gold, one Platinum, and one Triple-Platinum), a live album and three DVD s (...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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