+Live+'s new single, "The Way Around" is through, from their forthcoming album The Turn, their first with singer Chris Shinn. I actually kind of like it. He doesn't have the power that Ed Kowalczyk did, but this is harkens back to the early sound, as opposed to the stuff they put out near the end when Ed took complete control (as well as his solo stuff, which sounds like that).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOEWabgpMmM
Sorry, but in my opinion Shinn just doesn't do it for the band. He doesn't have the edge of young Ed, nor does he have lyrical or melodic ability equal to Ed of any era... Even the songs off Ed's solo Christian albums are stronger from a vocal standpoint.
Live music needs to be poetry. It's the classic battle of lyrics vs melody, and Ed was always a lyrics singer. Chris is clearly more interested in the melody... And the melody, to be frank, isn't that good.
On the other hand, it is a huge step forward for them instrumentally. The song they played live when Shinn first joined the band ('World', was it?) was just as anemic as the stuff off of Songs From Black Mountain. At least with this song, the bass and drums are in the forefront (where they belong, they are a criminally underrated rhythm section) and the guitar has some nice edge to it.
The band shows potential (as they did with Gracious Few), but if they want to do justice to the Live name, they should get someone better than Shinn.
I don't think he is close to old Ed. Sadly, neither is Ed. His solo stuff is boring. I liked the song "The River," and it is fine to have a poppy song here and there. But his writing just got boring and predictable. And the last time I saw them live together, he creeped me out. He showed up to the House of Blues Anaheim at the hostess desk. Everyone in line for the show could see him. A couple girls, including the ones we were with went to go take pics with him. The Anaheim HOB hostess desk is outside, and then there is the patio, and then you go inside. Well, he never went inside. From where I was in line, I could see that he was just sort of standing in a covered area on the patio. Once it was obvious there would be no more fanfare, he left.
He showed up like someone sitting down to eat, stayed long enough to get recognized, then left when that was over. Weird. It was like celebrity was ruling him.
On stage, the band didn't interact with him even once. After each song, he went to the rear of the stage and talked into a microphone. I don't know if it was a mic hooked up to the band telling them the next song or what, but he ignored all the other members and they ignored him. He also did a lot of turning around and shaking his ass for the crowd, smiling all crazy.
He was just some goofy cartoon as opposed to the badass frontman I saw in 2002 when they opened for STP.
Anyway, I actually like this song. I find it fun to listen to. It's not great, and Shinn is no Ed, but I'd rather have this than another Songs From Black Mountain or another Ed solo song.
