Finger Eleven - Them vs You vs Me

My first introduction to Finger Eleven was on a WWF (World Wrestling Federation as it was known then) soundtrack, called Forceable Entry. They did the theme music for Kane, which is a wrestling character I liked. That was the first and only song I heard from them that I really cared for until the album Them vs You vs Me came out.

Now to be fair, I've never listened to any of their albums, and the only songs I heard were videos or singles. So, all I got was the commercial bull shit. Not very impressive, but when Paralyzer hit the airwaves I all of a sudden found myself wanting to listen.

That lead track, from the album, was full of all kinds of eroticinisism (my word, nor real). The self loathing and almost nihilistic perspective of distant longing and lusting. All this mixed with a snappy beat, and wicked groove, makes me want to get up and dance dirty. That's impressive since I don't like to dance, other than screwing around at home. Falling On is a good second song, it fits well in the mix, and I enjoy it when I hear it.

I'll Keep Your Memory Vague, is a great Emo love song that I'm sure many teenage girls cried their eyes out to at the time. It's well done and I don't mind listening to it. I think it's even been on my Mp3 player for a time, but I could do without it on the album.

There's a very INXS feel to So So Suicide. It's got that certain snap and pop, but more crunchy in the choruses. I like it. It get's me pumping, and it's great to use as riding music while cycling. Even during the breakdown in the middle there's such a great driving feel. It's feels like you are racing away from your demons.

More Emoesque longing can be heard in the sixth track on the album, Window Song. It is really well done musically. Plus I find I want to sing along with the choruses, but this is the point when the album starts to blur and blend together.

In the day of the CDs Sense of a Spark, is a good solid middle of the album filler. As track seven of twelve, it's easy to picture it would be the lead track on side two. In that way, it's not so good. However, as the last track on side one it would be an acceptable ending.

Talking To The Walls would be a great lead off track to side two. It has a soft sound, but it's strong. It grabs you, holds you, and brings you in. Don't look for any real depth, it's a bit cliche, and the sound a tad overly produced, but it's still a fun song.

Change the World is the type of song I'm use to hearing from Finger Eleven. I'm sure there are a lot of people that love this song, mostly females, but I'm not one of them. At this point in the CD I'm a bit annoyed at the over used cliches. Quit trying to play to the females. I know it gets you laid on tour, but it really brings down the album.

The snap and pop I liked at the begining of the album is just a bit over used at this point. I do like the idea behind the lyrics for Gather & Give, and the music is even decent, but it's now the tenth song on the album and I've had enough of it, because I don't care for the constant over used sound.

Them vs You vs Me is a much welcomed change at this point. This is a song that sounds very real to me. It's feel and sound makes me think of how Paranoid was to the album it came out on. I say this in the sense that the title track to this album comes across like it came about real quickly, fluidically, and naturally. Like good Rock should.

Then someone said that song should be the song that defines the album, by making it the title track, although this song did not have the same success, but that probably had something to do with the exploritory, Pink Floyd-like, spacey sounds which are also very cool.

The album finishes with Easy Life which is okay, but the album should have ended on the title track instead. This song really doesn't do much for me as far as the album goes. Like all the other songs on the album it sounds well executed and produced, but it sounds like all the other songs on the album at ths point. It tries to end the album on a powerful driving fade out, but it feels overly drawn out, and leaves me wanting less.

When I write these reviews I normally listen to the entire album twice in a row, sometimes three plays are happily enjoyed back to back, but sometimes I start skipping songs I just really don't want to hear. This album I want to skip chunks.

Now, I know it sounds like I'm being harsh on this album, and I am. As an album, I find it a bit redundant and by the end I'm kind of tuning out. This bothers me. In the days of cassettes or vinyl I would have only listened to one side at a time, but never back to back.

I like every song on this album, and enjoy them mixed into my 25 disc CD player, or on my Mp3 player, while it's on random. I do not care for the album as a whole, end of story.

The running time is listed as 40:23, but the album feels much longer than that, and not in a good way. If I had been calling the shots Falling On, Change The World, Gather & Give and Easy Life, would have been cut, and other songs would have been lengthend, just to cut down on repetative feel.

7/10 - content

8/10 - production

7/10 - personal bias