All hail to the emo band from my youth! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen The Used over the years, but several of their records remain my favorites to this day. With that being said, a lot of their newer material hadn’t really made it into my radar until their latest, Toxic Positivity, was announced.
I think after Artwork, I really didn’t give many of their albums a chance. Sure, a single here or there made it through, but it was a sound that was quite different than what I was used to from the band. I know every artist is entitled to grow and try new things, but just like the last two Arctic Monkeys records, doesn’t mean I have to be fully on board. That doesn’t mean I stop being a fan. Really, what prompted me to listen to the lead single off their ninth full-length was the fact that they announced a US tour with Don Broco opening. If you’ve read anything I’ve written over the past ten months, then you know how exciting this was to learn.
Lucky for me, the lead single, “I Hate Everybody” had that classic The Used sound. A lot of pop punk, emo, and straight rock with Bert’s angelic vocals tearing through the whole thing. Not to mention everybody probably feels like they hate everybody at some point or another. While there were eleven tracks on the record, it ran through pretty quick. Only a few tracks passed the three-minute mark. I kind of liked how slick it was. It also helped that there was no bad song on the record. Sure, there are some lyrics that lend themselves to sounding a little corny with Bert’s vocals, but the rest makes up for it.
“Worst I’ve Ever Been” opens up hard and fast, which continues into probably my favorite track on the album, “Numb,” with the lead single following suit. There another section of the album where the songs start with almost a balladlike quality to them, but end up just as loud and fast as the others. I’m thinking of “Cherry” and “Dopamine.” Both really do have some serious and heartfelt lyrics, but I didn’t catch them all. This album, while an easy listen, is certainly something I’ll have to run through another time or two to really appreciate some songs. There are moments where nothing sounds quite different from the others, so I need to give it some more attention.
Overall, I’m excited about the new stuff and even more excited to get the chance to see these guys again soon.