Review: Sam Roberts – Love at The End of the World

I haven’t commented on this album until now because I really wanted to have the album sink into my psyche for awhile to digest.

I’ll be honest with you, upon first listen, it wasn’t what I expected.  With the lead single ‘Them Kids’ being a rocker, knowing that Fixed to Ruin would be on the album (another rocker) I had this vision in my head that Love at the End of the World would be Chemical City Part 2.  That’s definitely not the case here.

This new album will probably end up being one of my favourite ones for the sole reason that I find that all my favourite albums are ones that I have to work at liking.  Someone told me this years ago and it makes so much sense.  You keep discovering new things that you love about an album if you have to push yourself to listening to it.

Take Waking the Dead for example.  An ethereal tune which didn’t really catch my interest at first.  I read on the boards that it was amongst the fave tunes and I just couldn’t figure out why.  But then one day last week it clicked and I LOVE this tune.

Anyhow, in the end, I do enjoy this album and it will probably grow on me over some time which is great.  I find that an album which grabs me right away is great and all, but it doesn’t have staying power in my books.  This one will surprise us all and probably stay in our music library for a few years at least.

I think I will also appreciate this album more after I see them live as I find seeing a band live brings out a different feeling to the song and when you listen to the recorded version you can hear the live version in your head at the same time…

In the end, I still prefer the rockers…Love at the End of the World, Fixed to Ruin, Them Kids, Up Sister (!!! I’m really loving this tune lately whereas three weeks ago, not so much).  But I also enjoy the slower ones…Lions of the Kalahari is amazing.  It’s something I can envision kids singing.  Words & Fire is majestic.  If there was one tune that I haven’t really fallen in love with yet, it would be Sundance but I’m sure I’ll grow to love it at some point.

I am glad to hear that the reviews acknowledge that it’s a different direction but that does not equal a bad thing.  I think it’s great that people are giving it a chance to grow in their heads and become a killer album.  Heck, look at the Beatles…after awhile they took their music in multiple different directions and that’s what we love them for.  They didn’t just stick to pop songs with bubble gum lyrics.

Bravo to Sam Roberts and the band for this excellent album.  I would definitely recommend it…just don’t expect another Chemical City.  It’s not a straight up shot of rock n’ roll, it’s a straight up shot of good music and I’m glad to see Sam Roberts grow as a song writer.