J_Boyd posted on August 16, 2011 13:16
The journey of fatherhood, loss and pain through music and finding strength. That is what shines through in the new full length release from Texas band Blue October entitled 'Any Man In America'. The 13 track studio release, the band's 6th, reads as a personal diary of front-man Justin Furstenfeld and his relationship struggles over the past few years. The main focus and theme is Furstenfeld's fight to simply be a father to his young daughter Blue despite a recent divorce from his wife.
From the emotional first single and video 'The Feel Again (Stay)' all the way through the end, this album is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Much like life. The thing is, Justin and this band put these thoughts and emotions down on paper and into song so well that the message is translated almost perfectly.
A few things come through, rather glaringly, from this release. The first and most evident is Furstenfeld's immense love and longing for his young daughter and the pain of not being able to be there for her. As a father of a young girl, I can relate to this message more than any Blue October album in the past. You get the feeling that Furstenfeld is singing some of these tracks directly to his little girl just to express how he feels. The song 'For The Love' is a great illustration of this message.
The second impressions this album leaves with me is the extreme anger and sorrow that Furstenfeld has for his ex-wife and her new found attitude who he has described in interviews as being a 'serial accuser'. Some songs such as 'The Flight' and the title track, 'Any Man In America' have both barrels directed solely at her. And rightly so. The intro phone conversation into 'The Flight' between Justin and his ex-wife is a chilling moment and most certainly paints the later as a villain fit for any Superhero movie.
There is plenty of the classic Blue October sound found within the disc but there is also some obvious new direction and a hip-hop vibe in more than a few songs. This is a departure from the normal Blue October sound but it is refreshing new twist from the band and it really works very well. This new sound may be a credit to producer Tim Palmer who worked closely with Furstenfeld and the rest of the band on the album.
'Any Man In America' ends with two great tracks in 'The Worry List' and 'The Follow Through' featuring vocalist Patricia Lynn from The Soldier Thread. Both of these tracks serve as a message of strength and moving on and bring the album to a great and positive conclusion as their best work yet. This is Blue's best work yet, and I would highly recommend checking this album out, you will NOT be disappointed.
The new album, 'Any Man In America' is out in stores today and you can purchase it via Blue October's website: www.BlueOctober.com.
Also, you can purchase a digital copy of the album TODAY ONLY at Amazon for $3.99 by clicking HERE.
Blue October recently joined together with The American Coalition for Fathers and Children (ACFC - www.acfc.org) to address divorce, family breakdown, and emotional child support.You can get more info on that cause HERE.
You can also check out Blue October live and in concert as they headline The Pageant on October 1st. Their live show is one NOT to be missed so be sure to pick up your tickets which can be purchased HERE.
'Any Man In America' Tracklist:
1. Everything (AM Limbo)
2. The Feel Again (Stay)
3. The Money Tree
4. For The Love
5. Drama Everything
6. The Chills
7. The Flight (LNK to MSP)
8.Any Man In America
9 You Waited Too Long
10 The Honesty
11 The Getting Over It Part
12 The Worry List
13 The Follow Through
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