The Used
Live and Acoustic At The Palace
Release Date: April 1, 2016 (available now)
Label: Hopeless Records
I think we should all take a moment to appreciate the cold hard fact that The Used, despite all of the bullshit that they've been dealt over the past fifteen years, have remained a band for this long. And they STILL sound amazing, if not better, than they did during their pivotal beginnings (think the self-titled and In Love And Death era). The band are back with a much different offering than the usual album packed with new tracks: the songs on this new album are all incredibly familiar, but there's a twist: the arrangements have been changed to fit an acoustic setting, complete with orchestral accompaniment. Live And Acoustic At The Palace is yet another splendid step forward in The Used's prolific career, with the band performing twelve tracks from each of their six albums (thus far). Each arrangement offers something a bit different, showcasing tracks like "The Bird And The Worm" and "Blue and Yellow" in new and exciting ways. Not every note is hit perfectly, but the fact that nothing is doctored after the fact only enhances the honesty and raw emotion of what Bert McCraken and Co. are trying to go for with a performance like this. Anectodes and stories are abound in between certain tracks, helping enhance the listener's understanding of where these songs originated from. Live And Acoustic At The Palace is the perfect offering from The Used to hold us over just enough until album seven is introduced to the world. Until then, let's take a seat, sit back, and chill out to a selection of reimagined, acoustic tracks that defined our teenage angst.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.