They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I am sure that Amy Lee from Evanescence was pondering that saying as she sat in her recording studio piecing together the bands’ third studio album. Would the teenage goth girls who looked up to her be all grown up now and out of that phase of their life? Would the industry welcome her back with open arms? A lot has changed since their last album; just look at Hot Topic!
Evanescence seemed to be an overnight sensation back in 2003 with their debut Fallen. Their songs were all over MTV, Amy was in almost every music magazine that you picked up and the band even won two Grammy Awards. Their follow-up in 2006, The Open Door, was also a huge seller for the band. Then, they just seemed to disappear. There have been many rumors floating around and dates of a new release were teased for quite some time. Early 2011 saw the first true signs of a new album forthcoming and the anticipation begin to grow among the fans.
The fans wishes were granted in October as the new self-titled album from Evanescence hit the stores. If the initial response to the first single “What You Want” was an indication of whether the fans missed the band, then they had nothing to worry about. The single blew up in a major way and has been all over MTV, the Sixx Sense Sideshow Countdown, radio and more!
The album is a good mix of styles that we expect from the band with each one woven around the incredible voice of Lee. There are several rock oriented songs on the album such as “Never Go Back” and “End of the Dream”. Each has that signature crunching guitar sound that you associate with the bands’ trademark sound.
“The Change” is a great song that shows exactly how Amy can start a song out slow and build on it with her powerful vocals. She just wraps her voice around it and cradles it until it’s ready to be unleashed at its full fury. “My Heart Is Broken” is another example, but this time she includes a beautiful piano intro to build off of.
There are two key tracks on the album that stand out for totally different reasons; other than the fact that they are both exceptional tracks. “Swimming Home” shows Amy dabbling in the electronica field on this very smooth and relaxing track that sounds unlike anything I have heard the band do before. The other track is the beautiful “Lost in Paradise”. Again, Amy’s piano skills are featured here and they compliment her emotional vocal delivery to the utmost. There is a soft, angelic like quality to her vocals that helps to accentuate the emotion in the lyrics. The addition of the string section on this song is almost brilliant and takes it to another level. The sheer beauty and emotion in the vocal delivery is enough to give you goosebumps.
This album was well worth the wait and it presents the band in a different light both musically and lyrically. The sound is more reminiscent of Fallen than of The Open Door, but they still manage to branch out and grow their sound. The lyrics are also a big surprise as they are not as dark as in the past. We all know that Amy wrote the last album from a darker point in her life, but this new album seems to be almost a total opposite as far as the writing goes.
A new band, a new album that debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart and a new tour has Evanescence feeling a huge wave of love from their fans. Don’t fret though, there’s still some goth left in her, it’s just matured and channeled in a different creative way.
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