Leave This Town
Studio Album by Daughtry released in 2009Leave This Town review
Daughtry, one of the best sold bands in the USA
Leave This Town is the American rock band Daughtry’s sophomore effort. Today this is one of the best sold bands in the USA, its 2007’s eponymous debut record became a best-seller reaching the trice-platinum status in America.. Daughtry headed by Chris Daughtry, already a well-known American Idol finalist, has quite a lot of the band’s fans on the other side of the Atlantic as well. If Chris recorded the first album rather to claim himself as an accomplished artist, the second one is concentrated on music as it is continuing the best traditions of the debut album. A good half of the songs on Leave This Town has been recorded with such renowned musicians as Chad Kroeger (Nickelback), Eric Dill (The Click Five), Ben Moody (better known for his work with Evanescence and also with a country singer Vince Gill. The album is released on the RCA label and once again produced by Howard Benson who has worked with such bands as Apocalyptica, Crazy Town, Creed, My Chemical Romance so the audience that has been anticipating this creation is sure not to be disappointed.
The compositions on Leave This Town shine with guitar riffs
The album opens with You Don’t Belong starting with a worrisome growing guitar prelude exploding with powerful drums in the best traditions of Linkin Park. The following composition No Surprise is one of the album’s highlights; it became the one chosen for the video. The song co-written with Chad Kroeger is remarkable not only for Chris’ inimitable vocals and a rolling sound but also for heart-felt lyrics and the composition’s contagious general atmosphere. No doubt No Surprise is going to become one of the season’s hits: the track has already achieved the highest positions on the most prestigious charts in Canada and the USA. The song Open Up Your Eyes recorded together with Ben Moody is a beautiful and powerful love ballad telling of relationships and some contradictory feelings. The following track September starts with a reflecting guitar joined by lyrical vocals to later unite with energetic mellow drums. Ghost Of Me is one of the strongest compositions in the respect of lyrics here: Daughtry raises the problem of distrust and misunderstanding in the relationships. An up-tempo and inspiring song Supernatural shines with guitar riffs and a romantic text. Chris sings a duet with a famous country singer on an ethereal ballad Tennessee Line contrasting with the entire album for the practically acoustic sound and regularity. The final track Call Your Name renders the atmosphere of love with a bitter flavor refined with an acoustic guitar introduction growing into an excellent electro solo and explosive drums at the end of the composition.
A wonderful combination of masculinity and sensuality
Making a great start Daughtry has not changed the chosen direction and continued creating a marvelous rock replying all the quality standards. Nevertheless it would easily loose itself among the enormous amount of the beginning rock bands if it were not for something unique it brings into this huge music industry. The musicians of the band are different from the typical rockers’ image: some big-haired drunkards looking for troubles are not their idols. These guys are for sobriety, monogamy and feelings – the values Daughtry sings about in its creative work wonderfully combining masculinity and sensuality. All the band members are great family-men: on Leave This Town’s cover art each of the musicians has thanked his wife who helped them and inspired for new musical deeds. We can even say that Daughtry are the contemporary rock pioneers in this respect. At the same time despite the seeming softness its music is absolutely masculine and brutal as the real rock should be. Anyway, the band’s potentials are obviously far from the full realization, so Daughtry is sure to please the fans with no less stunning hits that are yet to come.