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by Tony Pascarella Published: February 16, 2005
Mississippi alt-rockers 3 Doors Down return to center stage with the release of their third studio album, Seventeen Days. They adopt a two-fold approach to music: the hard-charging, fast-paced rockers and the slower, smoother ballads. Six years after forming, 3 Doors Down got their career started with the release of 2000's The Better Life. It wasn't just the album which came highly praised, but the singles "Kryptonite" and "Be Like That," which really propelled them to success. In 2002, they released Away From The Sun, a much more ballad-heavy disc with its fair share of radio singles including "Here Without You" and the tearjerking "When I'm Gone." In February of 2005, their newest effort, Seventeen Days hit record shelves. 3 Doors Down Is: Brad Arnold (Vocals) Chris Henderson (Guitar) Matt Roberts (Guitar) Todd Harrell (Bass) Greg Upchurch (Drums) Guitar riffs on "Right Where I Belong" are some of the best that 3 Doors Down have ever done. Arnold's vocals are instantly hooky. Unfortunately, this song is way too short, clocking in at barely over two and a half minutes. Originally on their live EP Another 700 Miles, "It's Not Me" was recorded when they were in New Orleans. Very cool, actually. It inflects that spirit the band has been trying to nail down for three albums. "Let Me Go" is the lead single from Seventeen Days. Rather than being the anthem of the new generation of servicemen or a musing about missing someone while on tour, this song is rather unremarkable. It seems to lack the catchy guitar hooks or chorus, leading the song into a quagmire of rehashed music. The chorus is kind of repetitive and doesn't really accomplish anything. "Be Somebody" is one of those songs that come out of the 3 Doors Down cookie cutter mold every couple of years or so. You've heard them all before, just with slightly different lyrics or a tweaked guitar riff here and there. That said, it's still one of the more consistent tracks on the album. At just about three and a quarter minutes, it's not like you're biting off too much to chew, either. The violins of "Landing in London" are very clichéd, but the song itself isn't bad. It's partly saved by the brief cameo from Bob Seger. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear anywhere else on Seventeen Days to bring this album out of the boring category. When I saw the title of "The Real Life," I began to wonder if this was going to be a sequel song to one of my favorite songs by the band, the title track from The Better Life. In fact, it isn't, which is both good and disappointing. It doesn't rock very hard, a problem that plagues Seventeen Days from directly after the lead song. Brad's vocals are solid and soulful here, but damn it, this music isn't new! Or at least that's how you feel. "Behind Those Eyes" uses a heavy, catchy chorus to draw you in; this is how good 3 Doors Down can be if they really try. Henderson and Roberts on guitar is excellent, and the ebb and flow of this song really makes it. "Never Will I Break" comes off as another riff-laden Southern rock track that starts off a bit stagnant before launching into something really special. "Father's Son" is reminiscent of Skynyrd except with subpar vocals. If only they'd regain that edge that they started to showcase with Away From The Sun, 3 Doors Down might be a force to be reckoned with. The moody violin interlude is something different, but still doesn't save the song from being derivative. "Live For Today" is a punchy-introed track that slacks off bigtime. The first few crunches lead you to believe that this is a heavy, metalesque one, but it flows into nearly religious-themed vocals. I'd hate to see 3 Doors Down turn into the next Switchfoot, honestly. Altogether, it isn't that bad, but it could be a lot better. "My World" has a faceless feel to it, one that just reeks of song cloning. We've heard it before, and frankly, it doesn't do any better in any new incarnation. Brad Arnold seems to strain for the vocals, and his lyrics are almost as bad as Nickelback's have gotten. "Here By Me" is a chilling ballad that parallels "Here Without You." Arnold's passionate vocals actually work here, giving us a timid yet interesting close to Seventeen Days. The reaction to the album has been mixed in the reviews of my fellow music reviewers so far. Some say that the album is a downturn for 3 Doors Down, while others say it's a good mid-level rock album. I've been a fan of theirs since The Better Life, and I personally think they could have done better. The album was recorded in a span of two and a half weeks, hence the title. Rather than being the Lynyrd Skynyrd clones people called them after hearing Away From The Sun, they tend to lean more toward a grunge sound on the new effort. I'm hasty on recommending Seventeen Days. I know that 3 Doors Down can put out a much better record given more time to write and record.  Recommendation: An average album with an average recommendation; don't feel bad if you decide not to check it out. Genre: Alternative/Rock 'N Roll Overall Grade: C+ Links: Official 3 Doors Down Site |
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