They broke through in 1994 with their smash single “Shine.” They returned two years later with “December.” “Gel.” and “The World I Know.” Now, five years later. Collective Soul continues to work towards the commercial success they became acquainted with during the middle of the 1990s.
Now, five years later, Collective Soul is continuing to work towards the commercial success they became acquainted with during the middle of the 1990s.
After 1997’s release of Disciplined Breakdown proved to be a disappointment by commercial standards, the band had to focus, regain its confidence, and prove to the critics that it was still capable of releasing a worthy product.
On Dosage, the band seeks to find a balance between mellow and melodic songs and more experimental songs that have become a trademark of the band.
The opening track, “Tremble For My Beloved,” sets the tone for the entire album. A unique blend of music and lyrics gives the song sense of anger with happiness shining through. In it, lead singer Ed Roland declares, “To a world where madness craves/To a world where hope’s enslaved/Oh I’ll tremble for my love always.”
From there, the band continues at the same pace with the song “Heavy.” Perhaps the title says it all, as the song is one of the more heavy songs on the album. “All your weight, it falls on me/It brings me down.”
With the song “No More No Less.” the band turns to a funk beat with guitar riffs that are reminiscent of U2’s The Edge. What makes Collective Soul unique is the fact that they are able to blend some acoustic songs in with their heavier electric counterparts.
The primarily acoustic song “Needs” proves to be the perfect song to break the monotony of the first half of the album. The addition of strings nicely adds a flavor to the song that is missing in many of the album’s other songs.
Next comes “Slow.” One might momentarily feel as though he/she is listening to The Wallflowers’ cover of the David Bowie classic “Heroes.” The song closes with some spoken words from John Poch’s “Winter Song.”
With Dosage, the band sometimes utilizes a drum machine in the place of, or in conjunction with, the band’s drummer Shane Evans. For example, in the song “Dandy Life,” the band finds a balance between live drumming and drum machine. This sees the band following the direction of many of the popular radio bands of today. We also are graced by the singing lead guitarist Ross Childress.
The seventh track, “Run,” sees the band returning to popularity on commercial radio. Already an immensely popular radio single, this could be the song that brings the band back to the heights it reached with 1992’s “Shine.
The song is graced by Ed Roland’s unique voice and guitar solos that work extremely well with the string arrangement. “Have I got a long way to run/Yeah, I run.” Roland declares in the song.
After such melodic songs, the band turns to more experimental songs such as “Generate.” “I entertain by the silence/That you created by noise.” declares Roland.
In the song “Not the One,” we see the band reverting to more experimental techniques. While Ed Roland declares that he is “Not the one,” we are entranced by the drum programming of drummer Shane Evans.
The album’s closing track, “Crown,” leaves any listener expecting more. At times its melody will pull any listener in, and at others, it will leave the listener depressed. At times, the song almost sounds as though it is heavily influenced by Pink Floyd’s uniqueness. We are left to ponder Ed Roland’s question, “Who’s gonna wear my crown?”
While Dosage may not be as strong of an album as the band’s previous efforts, it does have its share of high points. The band has some songs that are unique in comparison to any of its previous efforts. This shows that the band is perhaps more versatile than many of its critics may perceive it to be.
For anyone who is unsure about the album the first time around, a second go is a must so as not to overlook any aspect of the album.
This album proves that the Atlanta-based band is not going to give up yet, so don’t count them down; they’ve still got more to give. Who knows what surprises the band may have in store for the future? Only time can tell.
Grade: B