10. Happiest Of Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Ie6tP2wWo To Takacs credit, he has played second-fiddle to Rzezniks ballads for decades now, and thats probably the right way of thinking. But on Happiest of Days, we get to hear a sincerity that we havent heard from Robby before. The melody is a little mundane, but there is an unavoidable charm about this track, and as it builds and builds, you cant just help feel a little smile form across your face. Simple and happy just the way we like it. 11. Keep The Car Running
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYNT4jhbwV8 Awesome final track. I first heard this song when the band played it live on their live-stream concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Lyrically, it holds a great perception on human attitude. Sometimes, Yeah, were making something out of nothing / Yeah, yeah keep the car running is the truest and most honourable way to live ones life. To take life as it comes, move forward and never look back; to jump in a convertible and drive down Californias Highway 1 with the sun on your back (Ive personally done this one). It makes you realize weve only got one shot, so you might as well make it last. Its yet another example of why the Goo Goo Dolls are underrated. Rzeznik is a philosophical poet at times, even if his lyrics are linguistically humble; they tug at mental strings that other musicians simply cannot reach. 8/10 Overall, it would seem Magneticis an album of two stories one which embraces an upbeat future through an old style of emotional alt-rock, the other a tired forty-something trying to reinvent his sound. In that regard, its pretty hard to nail down my thoughts on this album as a whole. In so many ways, this band has affected me more than any other on the planet, simply because their music actually means something, yet still manages to produce undeniably catchiness to every note they produce. So even if Magnetichas a few rough spots, there are three or four fantastic tracks. They show the same Goo Goo Dolls that inspired me to pick up a guitar, and in that regard, this album is a success for my ears. Compared to Something For the Rest ofUs (2010) which I would give a 5/10, Magnetic gets a strong 8/10. The Goo Goo Dolls are: John Rzeznik Lead Vocals/Guitar Robby Takac Bass/Backing Vocals Mike Malinin Drums
Liam Woodcock
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English and History graduate from the University of York. I love all things culture, whether it's film, music, TV, sport or anything else I enjoy writing about. My main interests range from metacinema and Oscar nominations to comic book movies, sci-fi, supernatural television and the musical world of rock n' roll.
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Liam