This is the first Taproot album that I have listened to. I am not sure why that is, as this album is pretty good. I remember when their first album came out back in 2000, I had thought about picking it up but never did. I guess it was because there was a lot of non-descript nu-metal type of bands coming out and I wasn't giving many of them a shot. Well, that is changing now. I don't think this album will win me over as a big fan, but now I know not to write them off.
Blue Sky Research is a nice blend of catchy rhythms, heavy riffs, melodic singing, all wrapped in a radio friendly package. That isn't a knock on the band, they have a good middle of the road sound. A sound that is more mature than I would have expected. My tastes tend to run a little bit heavier than this, but this does succeed in trapping me within its catchiness.
The album's opening track is great. "I Will Not Fall for You" opens with a few deceptively heavy chords before breaking down into something more melodic and soft, before delivering a blast for the chorus. This is followed by "Violent Seas" which is vaguely reminiscent of Foo Fighters, I'm not sure why, but the opening just strikes me like that and I can't shake it. It is an evenly paced melodic rocker that has a nice flow.
"Birthday" features some very nice singing, clean, melodic, and emotional. This is a surprisingly touching song seeking more time. The aptly titled "Facepeeler" seems intent to do just that, it has a foreboding opening which hides the aggression seething beneath it. It has it's mellow moments, to be sure, but it has a mean streak that that just won't be denied.
Article comments
1 - Samantha
I bought the cd last night (Aug. 16). I have mixed feelings about the album. It will grow on me.
2 - Chris Beaumont
Are you a fan? I am curious how it compares to their other albums.
3 - nick
i bought it yesterday too... i love it all... doesnt sound much like taproot but its fricken amazing
4 - The Dude
Pretty goddam kick ass I'd say. Beats the shit out of everything on the radio. They've gotten way better.
5 - Jason
Having listened to the Gift and Welcome, I think this album isn't as heavy as there past work, but sounds pretty good. Dare I say it, but more radio friendy? I got the album on Tuesday, and I have enjoyed it for the most part. I feel that it isn't going to please many of it's fans that have grown to love their sound in the past, but overal it is a great album to listen too. If one thing is for certain, I guess they are changing for the best (less nu`metal sounding = the better). Take it less screaming a bad or good thing I guess.
6 - al
this is a damn weird album, im a huge taproot fan loved gift and loved welcome, btu thsi blue sky research is almost like listening to two seperate albums. the first four songs i thoguth were excellent they showed maturity but also kept their signature sound, then callign kicks in and I dotn care what ne one says this is the worst taproot song of all time, the next 6 songs that follow are way too damn emo for my liking taproot is not an emo band, or at least they shouldnt be, then for some reason they return to their signature sound for the last two songs on the album blue sky might be oen of their best songs to date, the album is too unbalanced and i'm preety dissapointed and i think most die hard fans will eb as well
7 - tomas
this album shows a real maturity and progression by the band and if "die hard" fans cant figure out Taproot will never follow suit and do what is expected, then they dont understand them and shouldnt listen. This is a great transition from Welcome which was just a branch of gift. I recommend this 150%.
8 - Steve
Blue Sky Research is a great CD. It is different then Taproot's earlier works "Gift" and "Welcome". I've been a long time fan of Taproot. Usually when a long time favorite band of mine changes its sound a bit, I hate it... but in this case, Taproot did a good job and I'm proud. The songs on Blue Sky Research have a catchy beat and great lyrics to them. Taproot did a good job combining melody and heaviness.
Overall, this is a great CD, and I recommend it to all.
9 - Dustin
If you liked the "sneak up on you" sound of B-SR, then you should really commit the time to the sophmore album, Welcome. The transformation that that album goes through from first listen to 100-umpteenth listen is amazing. Talk about sticking in your head...this album will slowly become one of your classics.
10 - MATTY J
I'd have to say that I am a bit dissapointed with Taproot's newest albumn. It's seems that their sound was growing and becoming very solid in "Welcome" and I had high expectations for "Blue Sky Research."
When I learned that they had hired Billy Corgan to write half the songs on this albumn, this dissapointed me even more. You can really hear it on the albumn! A lot of the songs sound striaght up like Pumpkins.
Overall, it is still a catchy albumn and I am a huge Taproot fan, but I guess that I was expecting something more than nothing.
11 - J Dubs
There are some good songs on this album, but it is not exactly ground-breaking rock, which I had come to expect from Taproot. Overall, its a decent album. For those who are unfamiliar, I would reccommend picking up Gift and Welcome also!!!!!
12 - m
billy corgan didnt write half the songs...he only wrote 3.
13 - robert white
One word describes this album. "Disapointing." like the commenter " al" wrote earlier, the first few songs, especially "facepeeler," are excellent. But the rest of the album sounds not like taproot at all. it sounds to redundant and dull. nothing wrong with being softer a bit if you are trying to change your sound a bit, but the later songs are just to boring.
If you have never listened to taproot before, i would recomend "welcome" the best of the three albums in my opinion. great mix of heaviness, melody, and overall quirky song themes and ideas.
14 - MATTY J
Hey smart guy, writers get paid off to omit their name from the song writing credits. You can clearly hear that at least half this cd sounds nothing like Taproot.
15 - Eleanor_Rigby
If you ever come back to read this again MATTY J: Read the liner or go look at the website. Corgan helped co-write three of the songs on the album; "Promise", "Violent Seas", "Lost In The Woods".
Their sound is much different than Gift and/or Welcome. That being said, this is their best album. Their melodies are meshed well with the hard and in-your-face guitar and drums that made their first two albums notable.