Review Summary: Trapt is "Reborn" and the result is an excellent effort that might just bring in a few new fans.
I praised Trapt's last record "No Apologies" for being a kid friendly hard-rock romp that is perfect for the weight-room. I also mentioned that the album was NOT going to turn any new ears towards the band. Trapt is one of those groups you need to have a taste for. You either like them or you don't. With each subsequent release after their debut record (Featuring the song we all love or hate: Headstrong), the band has done very little to change their sound. They've always been ALL ABOUT developing their sound. With the exception of their best release "Someone in Control," Trapt have done very little to reach out to new listeners. Let's be honest...When I say Trapt, you probably think of ESPN, the song Headstrong and you make a sour face. Trapt does that to people. It's easy to hate the band because of Headstrong and how overplayed and incredibly dated the song really is. This time, however, Trapt is "Reborn" and for the first time EVER, I think they might finally turn a few heads! This is a very good rock album!
The reason "Reborn" resonates so well with me is because it is a 'grow-up' album. How does one grow up? The answer is independence. We're all adults at age 18, but we're not truly grown-ups until we have the ability to support ourselves. Do we make enough money? Can we take care of ourselves? Can we attract a spouse? Being independent is how we come into our own. With "Reborn," Trapt is independent. They didn't have a label or a true producer holding their hands through the production of this album. Songs like Living in the Eye of the Storm, Bring It and Too Close have been around for almost a full year. Bring It was a stand-alone single and Trapt didn't even write the latter two songs. They were written by Chris Taylor Brown. They booted their label and producers and broke away from their restrictions and began to go their own way. You can tell they were frantic about how to make this thing; half of these songs weren't even supposed to be on the record. They flung themselves into the wild and produced a wonderful result. They did some weird things, they definitely struggled and even lost their guitarist to bigger and better things. It is just a wonderful thing that "Reborn" was able to turn out this well. And it shows a lot about their talents. In a strange way, this could arguably be their best work.
Reborn is a mixed bag of experimentation and a few nods to the past. Bring It is a sensational opener and first single. It has such a heavy fist bumping chorus that we're bound to hear on Sports Center someday soon. Love Hate Relationship blends well with their catalog and doesn't overstay its welcome as the longest song on the album. It's a decently written song with a very softly sung and catchy verses and slightly heavier chorus. Most songs on the record follow this formula. Experience is the first of a few experimental tracks along with Strength In Numbers, Get Out of Your Own Way and especially When it Rains. It's a far more slow moving song than we are used to hearing from Trapt. The chorus is a sweet sounding proclamation: "Experience it all/I found a risk worth taking/Right or wrong/It's my line to cross. Strength in Numbers seems a bit corny at first, but it's actually a very nice fight song about going up a against the system. It's essentially a very GOOD B-Side to the song Sound Off from "No Apologies" in it's lyrical content. Get Out Of Your Own Way is the best of these slower songs. Again, the verses are catchy and melodic. I love the guitar work in this song. The soft verses and heavy hitting chorus very formulaic but still well executed as Brown sings "I have a feeling that you want more" and then hits you with "You fight in vain/Get out of your own way." I love how each song is atmospheric and full of little bells and whistles that leave you wondering about what will come next. The intros seem to contrast the songs entirely, but it still works to build a mood for each song. I think Living in the Eye of the Storm is the new Land of Confusion. It's probably their best song. It's very deep, thought provoking and executed in a wonderful way. I love the bridge as Brown sings "I know I've got to be strong/but it's hard to hold on and on and on and on." His voice sounds so sad. Livewire (Light Me Up) is the weakest song on the album, lyrically...but it has so much energy. This will be a wonderful song to hear live. For fans of the bands previous album "No Apologies," Livewire hits hard with an excellent pre-chorus and chorus. I LOVE how brilliant this song is in its simplicity. It should have been a single. You're No Angel is a good closer to the record. The song is a little more of what we've come to expect from the band. Too Close and Going Under and sound a little more like their older work. This is great news for fans. There's really NOTHING to hate on this album! Too Close is a bit average but not skippable. There are no filler tracks on this album. Everything stands out. The lyrics are very deep and there is no foul language. The music rocks! Kids will love it, adults CAN love it and ESPN will probably be playing a few of these songs for years to come!
