{"id":19075,"date":"2013-11-26T22:37:13","date_gmt":"2013-11-26T11:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=19075"},"modified":"2013-11-26T22:37:13","modified_gmt":"2013-11-26T11:37:13","slug":"daughtry-%e2%80%93-baptized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2013\/11\/daughtry-%e2%80%93-baptized\/","title":{"rendered":"Daughtry \u2013 Baptized"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I\u2019ve liked Daughtry since their first release and with each album they have grown and showed that they can make a great rock album each time and in the two years since Daughtry released \u2018Break The Spell\u2019 a revelation must have taken place and it\u2019s \u2018No Surprise\u2019 sorry, pun intended\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018Baptized\u2019 opens with the title track and a distinct different feel from the Daughtry of old, with somewhat of a twang in its step and less power throughout, and by that I mean the guitars are toned down yet the song itself carries a driving beat that is catchy and Chris\u2019 vocals are sounding better than ever. Well, obviously with a title like \u2018Waiting For Superman\u2019 up next, my interest is peaked, it\u2019s interesting that two songs in that it\u2019s somewhat of a slower track, oh wow, keyboards, that was unexpected\u2026\u00a0 but the song itself is good lyrically, and from the title you can get the idea of what you\u2019re in for, but musically it\u2019s probably not, although good, I get the feeling we\u2019re in for a different type of record from Chris and the boys.<\/p>\n

\u2018Battleships\u2019 is catchy as all get out and a favourite, but we\u2019ll revisit that one when the acoustic version comes up a little later, but \u2018I\u2019ll Fight\u2019 turns the guitars up a little that have been missing and is the best of the tracks so far and most like what you\u2019d be used to as a Daughtry fan. Then \u2018Wild Heart\u2019 takes on more of a pop rock at times folky feel and with somewhat confusing arranged verses, the chorus is where this one shines, and is unmistakable Daughtry, good song, but may take me a second or third listen to get into. The next track is the one I\u2019m most intrigued by\u2026 \u2018Long Live Rock & Roll\u2019 and what may come from it, so let\u2019s see\u2026 oh\u2026 it\u2019s a little acoustic ditty\u2026 unexpected. I am a sucker for a story telling song though and it\u2019s full of every rock and roll song \/ clich\u00e9 possible, so far Journey, Def Leppard, and Kiss have got a run, and I\u2019m waiting for a Bon Jovi reference\u2026 oh there it was. It\u2019s actually a damn catchy song, now it\u2019s full of \u2018whoa oh\u2019s\u2019 which is rock and roll in itself. I would\u2019ve loved it to be a little more rock and roll musically, but what can ya do? Oh well this sounds delightful\u2026 \u2018The World We Knew\u2019 again an acoustic driven track, but has a certain groove to it that just works so well, and with a killer middle 8 for good measure, well you get me every time.<\/p>\n

Production wise this album is really well put together, as this \u2018different direction\u2019 is embraced by the band, it may take a little while for fans to grasp it, but if you really listen to the album and songs like \u2018High Above The Ground\u2019 which gives Chris a chance to use his higher vocal register at times, and nails it. \u2018Broken Arrows\u2019 is a piano ballad and at a perfect point in the album, it\u2019s a great track, and then we get almost electro in \u2018Witness\u2019 and it\u2019s on the tip of my tongue what it reminds me of\u2026 ahhh \u2018Endless Summer Nights\u2019 by Richard Marx, that\u2019s it, listen closely and you\u2019ll hear it. That\u2019s not a bad thing, trust me, I actually really like this track, I imagine this one live would be a monster. \u2018Traitor\u2019 hmm\u2026 I don\u2019t know about it lyrically, and it\u2019s not my favourite, but \u201918 Years\u2019 is another story teller and I like the feel of this one, it has that authentic vibe to it which I want from a song like this, and the build towards the end is perfect for it. This is where the album normally ends, but I have the deluxe edition here, so let\u2019s see what the remaining three tracks have in store.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I wonder why songs are chosen to be bonus tracks for a deluxe edition, and I\u2019m absolutely amazed as to why \u2018Undefeated\u2019 is here\u2026 this is the only track on the album written solely by Daughtry and it makes me wonder if he\u2019d done that himself what the entire album would\u2019ve sounded like, as this song is probably the best of what I\u2019ve just heard. It does have that very big \u201930 Seconds To Mars\u2019 production feel to it, but the song and its message are just exactly what I like, if only it was a big rock power ballad it would\u2019ve been an astronomical smash. \u2018Hey, Soul\u2026\u2019 hang on\u2026 this is Daughtry, right? Yep, sorry, thought Train had just come on\u2026 so \u2018Cinderella\u2019 and umbrella and oh wow, whistling\u2026 now this is an example of a bonus track. I\u2019m just not sure about this one at all, I suppose I feel like it\u2019s been done, and that somewhat bugs me if you get what I mean.<\/p>\n

OK, back to \u2018Battleships\u2019 and an acoustic version\u2026 ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. If only the whole album was given this treatment it would\u2019ve been absolutely amazing. This song almost gets a new life, even though it\u2019s the same tempo, same feel, but there is a dynamic here with the acoustic guitars and piano that give it depth. This is my favourite track on the album, actually, this version of it. I\u2019m glad this was here.<\/p>\n

I guess as artists grow, they evolve, I mean Bon Jovi have done it and they would be the closest you\u2019d reference when thinking about Daughtry, but it\u2019s a case of how people react, and hopefully they\u2019ll see Daughtry as a band evolving and that the next chapter may even be different to this, but Daughtry aren\u2019t going anywhere in a hurry so let\u2019s see what happens when we turn the page\u2026 this is a good album, it\u2019s not amazing, but after a few more spins, I think I\u2019ll get exactly what the band is trying to do here.<\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Roanoke Rapids, NC, USA<\/p>\n

For fans of:<\/strong> Rock<\/p>\n

Release date:<\/strong> 22 November 2013<\/p>\n

Record label:<\/strong> Sony Music Australia<\/p>\n

Producer: <\/strong>Daughtry, Martin Johnson, Rock Mafia, busbee<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong>\u00a0 http:\/\/www.daughtryofficial.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n<\/strong>Baptized
\nWaiting for Superman
\nBattleships
\nI’ll Fight
\nWild Heart
\nLong Live Rock & Roll
\nThe World We Knew
\nHigh Above the Ground
\nBroken Arrows
\nWitness
\nTraitor
\n18 Years
\nUndefeated
\nCinderella
\nBattleships (acoustic)
\n\n

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