Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by
My Chemical Romance - For anyone who knows me, which is the only three people who read this blog, you are probably familiar with my obsession with this band, especially in my junior year of high school.
MCR has been often criticized for their ever-evolving sound even from those who call themselves diehard fans. I could rant for hours about the ridiculousness of those kinds of accusations, but I will get to the real heart of this post.
My Chemical Romance have graduated and moved on from
The Black Parade, the album that has defined their look and lives for the past few years, and they have come from the darkness into what is an amazing accomplishment.
Danger Days has taken the band to a place that they have not visited on previous albums, a place in which they seem actually happy. You can hear in the music the newfound enthusiasm and dare I say optimism on the 15 new songs (12 if you discount the three spoken tracks). What I love most is when bands evolve their sound as they grow, and how through that evolution they stay relevant to my own life, which
MCR has certainly done here. When I needed something that spoke to who I was at sixteen and seventeen,
The Black Parade was there for me. The person I am today at nineteen has a strong connection to this new album that seems to understand the natural progression of life. The guys hit the ground running with the first full song
Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) whose title pretty much describes the song; a nonstop assault of noise. Normally, that might not be considered a good thing, but here
MCR pull it off perfectly, capturing a feeling that is clear they have been cultivating the past few years. If you are one of those people still obsessed with 2004's
Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, you may be slightly disappointed. The guys have grown up and out of their goth phase and now go for a song that if were described visually, would include the brightest, loudest colors possible. And if you watch the video for
Na Na Na you'll see that color is exactly what is being embraced. The third track on the album,
Bulletproof Heart, is a personal favorite for both the music and the lyrics, and while we do get a first taste of the newfound use of synthesizers, it isn't done with a feel of over-production. The rest of the album does a wonderful job of balancing the new sounds with the old, revitalizing a record that could have easily just been another
Parade. Instead, there are risks taken and stereotypes bashed in a way that cheekily reminds us that this is indeed the same band we loved before, just a little grown up. Even with the color, they are still a little edgy and even dangerous, as evident when
Gerard reminds us that vampires are no longer scary, they're mainstream (see
Vampire Money). There are only a few songs on the album that don't hold as strong, but even those are in no way weak spots. No album is perfect, but
MCR has gotten pretty damn close once again. With songs that defy their old sound, like the power-ballad like
SING and softer sided
Summertime, the band proves that they are not afraid to grow and change, while still having those songs that stick to a similar format to their older work, like
Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back and
Vampire Money. And to all those who are familiar with the band, yes, there is plenty of
Ray Toro guitar solo action. The album makes it clear that while
My Chemical Romance have grown up and settled down a bit in their personal lives, they still can deliver music that is musically and lyrically brilliant.
Key Tracks: Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na), Bulletproof Heart, SING, The Only Hope For Me Is You, Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back, Summertime, The Kids From Yesterday, Vampire Money
Currently Listening To: "Right Girl (Acoustic)" by The Maine from "Black & White"
