IN REVIEW: Our Lady Peace - "Somethingness"

Try as they might to prove themselves as the same vital force of Canadian rock that they once were (they embarked on a 20th anniversary tour to celebrate Clumsy, their most enduring and popular record, last year), the Our Lady Peace of 2018 is pretty far removed from the one that dominated airwaves on both sides of the 49th parallel a couple of decades ago. Raine Maida remains the unmistakable voice and soul of this band, that much is unchanged; none of his original band mates, however, have made it to the ninth OLP album. Original guitarist Mike Turner's departure over fifteen years ago still marks a stark turning point (no pun intended) in the band's trajectory, as they would soon take their sound in a less heavy, more melodic direction. The four albums that followed Turner's departure saw diminishing returns, with 2012's Curve struggling to register much traction even on home soil. Then, in 2014, founding drummer Jeremy Taggart left the fold, leaving fans more than a little uneasy about the future of the band.

It took a long time for a new LP to take shape (nearly six years, in fact), but Our Lady Peace have returned with an assured and consistent record. Somethingness is no bold attempt to cater to fans clamoring for Clumsy II, nor is it the grey, unremarkable set of songs Curve was. After a few spins, Somethingness doesn't even really split the difference between the two, rather occupying a unique place in OLP's discography as a mature and confidently melodic record.

So as to say, Somethingness dials down some of the more heavy-handed preachiness found circa Paranoid in Healthy Times, and doesn't feature as many pop-leaning experiments as Burn Burn and Curve. More to the point, it feels like the first time OLP have taken these more subdued, melodic tendencies and applied them to the songs in a way that feels truly appropriate to the band in terms of where they are now (read: a band almost 25 years into their existence).

There is still a little fire left in Our Lady Peace's collective belly, so to speak; and, even though they don't flex their rock muscles as often as they used to, when they do it's to greater effect. The end section of recent single Drop Me in the Water wouldn't have felt too out of place on an album like Spiritual Machines, but here among a quieter set of songs it sticks out, and it's bombastic and thrilling. Closing track Last Train, with a slick guitar punctuating throughout (and a nice nocturnal solo), makes a dark pleasure out of an otherwise ordinary track. Of the slow-to-medium paced tracks, the arrangements are thoughtful, especially on opening pair Head Down and Nice To Meet You. Falling Into Place is perhaps the most effective of the album's ballads, boasting a rousing and sticky chorus.

As pleasant a surprise as this album is, it's not without its shortcomings. Ballad of a Poet, a tribute to The Tragically Hip's Gord Downie, feels sort of awkward lyrically and flat musically despite its best intentions. That's not to say it's disingenuous or opportunistic in any way; indeed, the sentiment is true and Downie's is certainly a legacy worth honouring, this just doesn't strike me as one of the most effective attempts at remembering a man whose life and loss are admittedly difficult to put into words. That's followed by Hiding Place for Hearts, which aims to be a dark theatrical anthem but ends up the album's most overblown and out-of-place song. Then again, would it truly be an OLP album without at least one huge arena hopeful?

Perhaps the album's most obvious shortcoming is that it, well, comes up short. Nine songs is fine if you're dishing out a couple of epics but, with its songs all at acceptable length for radio play, OLP gets in and out in just over 33 minutes. Surely, this can't be all the band could muster up in the four year span since one-off single Won't Turn Back; and hey, even throwing that song on as a bonus wouldn't have been that out of line.

Overall, even with a few missteps, Somethingness is nonetheless a step in the right direction. When a band endures personnel changes, it often results in music that either tries too hard to retain a personality that is no longer there or (arguably, worse) runs flailing toward a personality that doesn't suit them. OLP has done a little of both over the years, but Somethingness is a carefully thought out album of above average consistency; and, it's as comfortable in their skin as Our Lady Peace have sounded in quite some time.

February 23, 2018 • Coalition
Highlights Head Down • Drop Me in the Water • Falling Into Place