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The Used
It's always a good idea for a group to make it on their own turf before venturing out into the harsh, cruel world. But what if your hometown is as hostile as they come? "Provo, Utah" and "Rock" are not two terms generally used in the same sentence - unless it's a contrast of opposites.
The Used, hailing from Provo and nearby Orem, had a tough time establishing themselves. First, their violent, aggressive and loud performances so shocked local club owners that The Used rarely got a second booking.
Out of frustration or desperation, the group chucked their day jobs to commit to their music. That soon necessitated panhandling to get buy. On top of that, there was McCracken's drug problem, referenced in "Maybe Memories."
Eventually, The Used landed slots on the Warped and Ozzfest tours building an audience. Signed by Reprise Records, the group recorded their self-titled debut in the L.A. home recording studio of producer John Feldman and at the legendary Olympic Studios in London.
Two years later, in '04, The Used returned with "In Love And Death." This Top 10 album provided much of the source material for their '07 live effort, "Berth."
Starting a new project can expose fractures that often force major decisions. As sessions for "Lies For The Liars" got underway, creative differences drove Steineckert to quit. He later landed with Rancid.
The Used continued recording using Good Charlotte's Dean Butterworth. Though Butterworth played on most of the tracks for "Lies For The Liars," it was Dan Whitesides who became the group's permanent drummer. The Used then did a stint on the '07 Taste Of Chaos Tour.
"Lies For The Liars," the group's third studio album, arrived in May, '07. The 11-song set included "The Bird And The Worm." It made its debut at #5 on the Billboard Top 200.
The Used recorded nineteen songs during sessions lasting six months - the longest to date - and there was some talk of issuing a double set. But it was decided to hang on to the songs for future projects. However, the group did issue a B-sides EP, "Shallow Believer," before starting "Artwork." Tours, especially an extended Asian jaunt, took The Used away from the Matt Squire (Panic At The Disco) produced effort - the first album not to have Feldman at the controls. The reason for the change was pretty basic.
"In the past, we've always kind of brought pop sensibility into heavy Rock, but this is going to be all that much more tantalizing and brutal," said McCracken in an interview for AP magazine. "Our songs are 10 times messier and noisier than they've ever been. We haven't been this excited about an album since our sel- titled back in '02."
A limited edition of "Artwork" contained a bonus DVD with behind the scenes footage and exclusive interviews.
Eleven or so songs in generally the same style on a single album can be a bit rough, even if the template is brilliant. There are numerous groups who can do one thing really well but stumble outside their comfort zone. The Used, fortunately, are not one of those. Thy often oscillate between slow, sparse verses and dense, thunderous choruses.
The first single from their self-titled debut, "The Taste Of Ink," is a catchy Rocker but "Maybe Memories," "Box Full Of Sharp Objects" and the primal screamer "Say Days Ago" are closer to the group's core. There's a lot of emotion but the guitars carry the day.
"In Love And Death," which is not nearly as dour as the title suggests, they slide from Nu Metal aggression ("Take It Away" and "Let It Bleed") to appealing power-pop (the bopping "Cut Up Angels" and "Light With A Sharpened Edge"). The Used even manage to toss in an acoustic ballad ("Yesterday's Feelings") that possesses some genuine emotion.
"Lies For The Liars" has the Used in three distinct modes. The first, and best, is a hard Rock outfit with Metal shards shot throughout. "Pretty Handsome Awkward," "The Ripper" and "Paralyzed" are sharp songs with muscular guitars and McCracken's fused vocals. The second features "drama songs" that include the set's first two singles, "The Bird And The Worm" and "Liar Liar (Burn In Hell)." "Bird" has ominous chants, synth strings and sound effects reminiscent of a Halloween cartoon soundtrack. "Liar Liar" leans on the children's verse "liar, liar, pants on fire." That McCracken can pull this off - seriously - is impressive. Helps to have a hot guitar line in there too. The third style falls back on the group's Emo tendencies. They roll from power ("Earthquake") to piano ("Smother Me") ballad. Only "Find A Way" sounds strained. The unexpected turn is the song "With Me Tonight" which is melodic pop with sassy horns.
"This record ("Artwork") is about coming to grips with how much you really hate yourself and knowing you can never hate yourself to the full extent, so you're free to hate yourself as much as you want to," said McCracken in a pre-release interview. To put a fine point on it, The Used claim to be purveyors of what they term "gross pop." "Artwork" fits that description.
Songs with titles, "Blood On My Hands," "Born To Quit" and "On The Cross" set the tone. That's reinforced by lyrics that revolve around a "fight that never ends."
"Blood On My Hands," the lead single and opening track, blasts out but it is eclipsed by the album's best cut, "Meant To Die" with its lethal riffs. Typically, the album is not that heavy - perhaps that's the pop side of "gross pop." But there are still some Metal shots. The hard-edged downer "On The Cross" and the churning drama of "Men Are All The Same" provide the power - if not the glory.
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