Reviews in Brief: Nickelback, "Here and Now"

Nickelback's latest, that I missed when it first came out. I did a full review at Epinions, with my track-by-track first impressions, when I first downloaded it. Since then I've listened to it a few times, and just threw it in the queue again this morning. My basic impression hasn't changed all that much -- it's Nickelback, unmistakably, a little darker than previous releases, but back to their grunge/country/rock sound, which is one of the things I like about them. It's got a slightly more focused feel to it, their essential sound distilled down to -- well, essentials.

Chad Kroeger's vocals are even more evocative than in the past -- on tracks like "Trying Not To Love You" and "Lullaby," two of the stand-out tracks, that urgency and plaintiveness pack a punch. There's a poignant quality to "Lullaby" that cuts through the irony of the title (and it is a little bit ironic, in a way I can't quite explain) and turns it into a beautiful, gentle song.

On the other hand, songs like the opening track, "This Is War," and "Kiss It Goodbye" (that one's a bitter song, and heavily satirical) reveal a kind of harshness that I haven't seen in them before -- it's in the same vein as "Rockstar" from All the Right Reasons, without the self-deprecating humor.

It's a solid collection, although not all the songs are what I'd call "strong," but the ones that are make up for it.

My favorite from the album. (Well, one of them.) The video's kind of trite, but the song has everything it needs: