IN REVIEW: Linkin Park - "One More Light"

Any criticism, be it constructive or harsh, that Linkin Park receives thanks to their seventh album surely can't be something they couldn't see coming. Flirting with softer, poppier sounds on previous records garnered them all kinds of backlash, and not all of it was fairly deserved. A certain subset of Linkin Park "fans" have vehemently opposed anything from the band that strays too far from the chest-beating nu-metal roots they've been doing their best to shed over the past fifteen years or so. The difference this time out is that, rather than throw on a few harder edged songs to ease the transition, One More Light has no buffer; this is a pop album through and through, with nary a distorted guitar or patented Chester Bennington shriek to be heard.

Early returns from the fan base for this new material has been, shall we say, less than encouraging. Lead single Heavy was hit with so much hate from some longtime followers of the group that Bennington in a recent interview infamously told people to "move the fuck on" from Hybrid Theory. I have to wonder, though, what did he expect? Here we have Linkin Park, just three years removed from an album that, if anything, tried way too hard to be heavy, coming back with the softest and most blatantly Top 40-leaning record they've ever done. The contrast is jarring, and fans called them out on it.

Suffice to say, all of this tension combined with the singles I heard had me pretty skeptical for One More Light. However, having heard the album several times now, I have to admit that it's really not as egregiously pop as I thought it would be, or as bad as you may have been led to believe it is. When taken out of the group's most recent context, it's a solid enough pop record, with pleasing hooks and tons of radio potential. Truth be told, if you take their previous record out of the equation, it's not all that far off from 2012's Living Things in terms of overall tone and feeling.

Again, though, there's no buffer between the past and the present. Living Things took a couple minutes to blow off steam in the form of the ruthlessly heavy Victimized, while One More Light sustains its shimmer throughout. There's very little aggression, and very little guitar work, LP choosing to make the majority of their statements through electronic methods. That means no breakdowns, no loud payoffs, no deviance from the path; just 35 minutes of Linkin Park at their most inoffensive. Make no mistake, there is plenty to enjoy here; the sunny thump of Battle Symphony, the spirited hip hop of Good Goodbye, the emotional and pensive title track, the Sheeranesque closer Sharp Edges. These are all easy to listen to and get something out of, but they won't exactly be sending anyone into a blissful frenzy.

With regards to One More Light, people seem to be rooted in one of two camps; the staunch supporters who ride with LP no matter what they feel like doing, and the naysayers who deep down haven't liked the band since Minutes to Midnight. For the sake of difficulty, allow me to plant myself right in the middle of these two warring factions. Camp Fanboy, you're right; there's nothing wrong with a band wanting to take their sound in new directions, even if it means going full-blown pop. Camp Hater, you're right too: this shit is so far removed from the music that initially drew you in that it feels like they straight up hoodwinked you, happy to take your money all those years ago and investing it into a career arc you never signed up for.

So if I'm to play Switzerland in this situation, perhaps both sides can agree to meet me part way when I summarize my feelings on One More Light; it's a decent pop album, and if you can handle the occasional pop song it'll do the trick. However, as a Linkin Park record (and one that followed an oppressively heavy Linkin Park record at that), it's a very sugary, tame set of songs that completely and explicitly flies in the face of their legacy in a blatant attempt to connect with a younger, less rock-oriented generation. Now, please, can we move the fuck on?

May 19, 2017 • Warner Bros.
Highlights Battle Symphony • Heavy • One More Light