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Unwind

Oleander - Unwind Audio CD

A fair review of the Oleander "Unwind" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Oleander reviews here, or go back to the Oleander tabs.

Band: Oleander
Title: Unwind
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-03-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Come to Stay 2: Yours if You Like 3: Are You There? 4: Halo 5: Benign 6: Unwind 7: Goodbye 8: Jimmy Shaker Day 9: Back Home Years Ago 10: Tightrope 11: She's Up, She's Down 12: Champion

beyond awesome
It rocks hard for the most part, but kicks back on occasion with songs such as Halo and Tightrope. I absolutely love this album. I can't get enough of this album, and listen to it all the time. My favorites include Yours If You Like, Are You There?, Unwind, and Jimmy Shaker Day. But this is definitely a no-skip album; as in, there are no songs to skip. Brilliant from start to finish. I'm anxious to hear the lead singer's new band, Black Summer Crush, with an album due out early next year. .

Its Like Grunge Ballads
If you like songs like "sex and candy", "far behind", "wishlist", "force of nature", "glycerine", and "the day I tried to live" then check this out. This is a great album for those who like Grunge Ballads. This is like a new version of a combination of those, Oleander-style.

One song on this particularly, "Jimmy Shakur Day", sounds like it is meant to be like Nirvana.

Hilights include the releases "Yours if you like" and "Are You There?", the love-attatchment saga "She's Up, She's Down", and the remniscent "Back Home Years Ago". This cd is like the ballad version of the first cd (although "are you there?" is like "why i'm here" and I suppose "Yours if you like" can be reffered to as like "i walk alone". Anyway, most of the songs on here fall under the ballad or power-ballad categories. They accomplish this by also pulling off the modern rock of late 90s and now style and also the grunge rock style.

Much more credit is definitely needed for this band!
I know at one time it was above 4, or around a perfect rating- so let's keep it that way, people! Personally, this is the most catchy, excellent album by Oleander I own! Articulant lyrics and jamming, driving beats overlap beautiful melodies ( hence,"Halo") that help catapult me into jamming along. Please! I mean, come ON! This album is undisputedly better than just "4" stars. To demonstrate my foremost thoughts of criticism and approval, here is a track breakdown:

1. Come To Stay- Behold the ulitmate, energetic jamming opener! Great way to start off the album. It's like you start it and you just zip right through it. 9/10

2. Yours If You Like- REAL kickin' song. A hip beat, right-on-key guitar riffs and sincere, powerful drumming. One of my favorites. 10/10

3. Are You There?- This song was their first hit on this record, and don't get me wrong, it is distinctively marvelous, but it really isn't my favorite. 8/10

4. Halo- MY FAVORITE!!! A beautiful song with fascinating ballads, a dream-like theme, and hope concealed deep within this song of shining in the Heavens above. Very cool. 10/10

5. Benign- A real trippy, funky song that you can really grow on. (All of this time, I-LOVE-THIS-SOOONNG!!!)

6. Unwind- Not as good as the rest of the powerhouses; it can get monotonous at times, but still worth a listen. (Thank god it's only 2 min. 50 sec. ) 6. 5/10

7. Goodbye- A darker, more melancholic theme to this song, but in the end, you have NOTHING to lose. I especially love the lyrical quote about the roller-coaster ride colliding. Extremely compelling.

8. Jimmy Shaker Day- A very fast-paced winner with explosive riffs and hard hitting, fueled up singing and lyrics. 8/10

9. Back Home Years Ago- This song could probably make you reminisce back to when you were younger or even to a childhood. It's just like how they quote in it times come and honorable times go. 9/10

10. Tightrope- SLLOOWW, soft song that really has a feel for love and beauty, going too far, and ending up back at the start. Good riffage once it gets into the jammin' rock. 9/10

11. She's Up, She's Down- Not such a good song (not because it's BAD or anything, it just doesn't stick in your mind) I guess that means it's easily forgettable. This is really the only one I resent. 5/10

12. Champion- THIS really makes up for the last one; a great closer. Strive to win and shoot for the whole nine yards, never back down and keep fighting! Perfect song to salute to our troops fighting overseas. 10/10

That wraps it up. I sincerely hope this review will be helpful to you. If you don't have it, pick it up some time and give it a spin. You'll see what I mean.

The best of their efforts
I have all of their major album releases and each one is worth buying. I like Oleander alot, there is just one problem that I have with their music, they have yet to realease that definitive cd. The problem is there is always so much filler! The only reason I call this album their best is beacause the filler is of better quality on this disc then the others. "are you there?" "come to stay" "unwind" and "jimmy shaker day" all have a quality about them that hit you in the ear drum and force you to listen. However, the big downfall of Oleander is that they seem to be in love with the ballad, and their not very good at them. "Benign" and "tightrope" are ok but either then that the rest of the album is that filler I was talking about. Don't misunderstand me, I encourage people to pick up this album, not only that but get "February son" and "Joyride" too. That way you can make an awesome mix cd and get rid of the filler.

fun and catchy but heavy nonetheless
so in spring of 2001, i heard "are you there" and i was floored. i heard "why im here", but wasnt too impressed. grabbed the cd immeaditely and loved what i heard. "come to stay" is a fun and fast opener and is easily one of the best songs on here. "yours if you like" is another upbeat song, slower than "come to stay" and even incorporates a synthesizer (?). "are you there" youve probably heard once before and it is an absolutely amazing catchy rock song. two mellow tracks follow that arent bad, but tracks 6,7, and 8 pick things up. "ugoodbye" is kind of sludgy while "jimmy shaker day" has a "hey!" chant breakdown with really choppy beats. "unwind" is an amazingly well done song and is extremely hooky during the chorus. the only drawback to this cd is the inclusion of some filler tracks, but the others DEFINTELY make up for it. a great cd for fans of collective soul,american hifi,doubledrive,and socialburn.

You can see a complete list of all Oleander discography, or go back to the Oleander tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.