by Debra Au
Daily Lobo
Like many fine wines, the Goo Goo Dolls seem to get better with age.
Blessed with the gift of reinvention, this trio from Buffalo, N.Y., has been able to musically sustain itself for over a decade by creating several top-selling records and gaining critical appraise. Its latest venture, Let Love In, is sure to be another chart-topper.
While their sound doesn't drastically change on this, their eighth album, they seem to be sticking with what works. It is a mix of an acoustic guitar and raspy vocals, singing of broken relationships - basically making it a reincarnated formula of their break-out song "Iris," which served as the theme song to the movie "City of Angels."
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I was surprised to find that Let Love In was released on April 25, because three of the 11 tracks have already been released: "Better Days," "Give A Little Bit," and the currently circulating "Stay With You." This seems like a pretty risky move since these are some of the standout tracks, and any forthcoming singles might not gain as much popularity.
Although most of the other songs sound the same, it's not entirely a bad thing, because there really aren't any bad tracks or ones that will be perpetually skipped over.
OK, well, maybe there might be.
Two tracks - "Listen" and "Strange Love" - are sung by bassist Robby Takac. Singing doesn't seem to be where his musical talent lies. His voice sounds like a slightly more coherent Ozzy Osbourne. While in theory this might sound great, trust me, it's not. Let's just say he shouldn't quit his day job as a bassist.
Lyrics appear to play a much more important role than on previous albums. They're intelligent, highly contemplative and more mature. The way lead singer Johnny Rzeznik is able to express his thoughts on relationships, or lack thereof, is treated in a manner that is much more adult and refined than that of most of his contemporaries. "Can't Let It Go" and "Better Days" are perfect examples of this.
If you're expecting a more formal and slower-paced album addition to your anthology, Let Love In is definitely worth buying. While the group has seemed to have lost the majority of its punk-rock roots, it does show how it has evolved into having a higher level of maturity.
The Goo Goo Dolls no longer are the kids who had dreams of making it big in Los Angeles. They've already been able to enjoy the fruits of their success and can now take the time to create a more personal - albeit a less mainstream - album that both they and their fans can be proud of.
