Just heard it. Doing a review for contactmusic.com, I'll post a link when I've written up the review, but for now, i'll whet your appetites with my track-by-track notes that I use to help me write the reviews:
Spoiler Alert
Between The Lines – punchy, straight off. Big chorus hook, first single. Abstract lyrics. Classic STP but faster, more to the point. Verse has a hook, chorus has a hook, bridge section has a hook. Fucking awesome solo.
Take a Load Off – more textured, angular guitars. Melodies intertwined working together. More calm. More frantic riffing and intricate soloing. To the point.
Huckleberry Crumble – classic 70s rock vibe but brought up to date with an STP twist – this is still definitely an STP song, but unlike any that have come before. “I feel like I’m pulling away, yeah” hook – going to be in my head for weeks. More fantastic soloing, twice. 3 very different tracks all next to each other. Stompy.
Hickory Dichotomy – once more very different for STP, but it could not be anyone else. Weird vocals – sex pistols or Iggy rip off maybe? Not as immediate as the first 3 tracks. Amazing solo again. Quality, but may take a while to get used to.
Dare If You Dare – slower, first song over 4 minutes. Layers of guitars and keyboards – could benefit from being heard through headphones. Another great solo. First example of Weiland getting into higher notes and being adventurous vocally – it works, he still has it.
Cinnamon – picks up the pace again but not as aggressive as 1-4. Verses sound a little like Weiland solo material. Very immediate and poppy, would work well on the radio. Layers of intricate guitar leading to a solo which is a hook in itself. If anything it does get a little repetitive towards the end, I always feel short changed by fade outs
Hazy Daze – another big, heavy, aggressive, frantic riff. The guitar really stands out; it feels like maybe the vocals get lost behind it in the chorus. Another solo, straight to the point stuff.
Bagman – kind of cheesy 70s thing. More layers of guitar. Despite the cheesiness that is a huge hook
Peacoat – forceful wall of guitars and riffing, less immediate but the chorus hook is there, feels like a grower.
Fast As I Can – as it says on the tin. Almost VR-y. Riffs and solos.
First Kiss On Mars – more textured, very Bowie in the verses. Even with the added textures and keyboards there is still a cool riff in there, a little like Aerosmith. Another impressive solo. Spacey and atmospheric, but packed into 3 minutes of pop perfection. Very Weiland solo.
Maver - Slower, textured keyboards. Almost Country-ish? Hints of the Beatles and queen, but still definitely STP. Epic. Wistful? Melancholy? Great solo. Acoustic guitars and pianos playing off each other in the Outro. Feels like a perfect way to finish off the album.
Other notes – 1-4 fast paced punch in the face of a comeback. The guitar work really stands out. Seems like a 70s throwback a lot of the time but with an STP take to it. The songs are condensed and straight to the point but there is a lot packed into them. There is no fat on these songs; the bare minimum of what is necessary is kept while everything else feels stripped away. Vocals sometimes feel lost behind excessive amounts of guitars. Vocal performance sometimes feels a little safe. With time it could stand up to the first 5 STP albums: it has obvious hard rockers like Sex Type Thing and Down as well as the more intricate layered songs. The most upbeat and positive sounding STP album.
