Review Summary: Loaded with a number of classic tracks that could have brought the band even further success than their first-two records.
Eve 6 burst onto the scene back in 1998 with a self-titled record that quickly went platinum thanks to a first-rate single entitled
"Inside Out". The song was immediately gripping due to a fast-paced lyrical style and hip-hop inspired vocals from Max Collins.
Horrorscope emerged later-on and soon went gold thanks to a trio of fantastic singles such as
"On the Roof Again",
"Promise" and, most notably,
"Here's to the Night". After the enormous success of their first-two records, their third instalment was expected to at least hit close to another gold certification. Unfortunately,
It's All In Your Head did not take off quite as well as the first-two; merely generating 192,000 unit sales, not even worth half of a gold certification. The experimental nature of the album was largely praised by fans, but clearly the sales did not compute, leading Eve 6 to end their contract with RCA. They broke up soon after due to becoming overly exhausted, Collins even admitted that he
"needed to stop drinking" soon after the break-up was announced.
With the notion of drinking in mind, the lead single off of
It's All In Your Head was the utterly dizzying
"Think Twice". The song is fuelled by drunken, suicide-induced lyrics such as
"what is it you really want / I'm tired of asking / you're gone, I'm wasted / when I showed up and he was there / I tried my best to grin and bare / and took the stairs, but didn't stop at the street / and as we speak, I'm going down". Based off those lyrics, it's surprising to note that the song actually managed to become a hit; making it onto the top 10 Modern Rock charts at a time when Chevelle (
"Send the Pain Below") and Trapt (
"Headstrong") were battling for the #1 spot during the tail-end of July. Even though the song was a hit, it undeniably had a negative effect on the album's sales. Easily the darkest, most deeply depressing song on the record.
"Think Twice" shockingly sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest of the album, which is almost as happy and go-lucky as the previous record was.
While
"Think Twice" may have been a bad choice for a lead single, Eve 6 managed to follow it up with
"At Least We're Dreaming". The song unfortunately didn't make a dent on the charts at the time they decided to release it, but it's a much more enlightening song that would have worked much better as the lead single due to the instantly relatable lyrics:
"live in an apartment that bums me out / it don't get better when the lights go out / waiting for someone to come along and find me / swimming through the isles of the grocery store / I don't even know what I'm looking for / waiting for someone to come along and find me". The album opener,
"Without You Here", is a fast and ferocious song. Brimming with unbridled energy, it contains a sheer sense of fun that immediately hooks into the rest of the record. Thankfully songs such as
"Still Waiting Here",
"Bring the Night On",
"Girlfriend",
"Hokis" and
"Friend of Mine" (which is unusually similar to Metallica's
"One") can keep up the momentum.
"Arch Drive Goodbye" closes out the album and proves to make a perfect pair with
"At Least We're Dreaming". Equally charming and mesmerizing, the chorus is among the most beautifully-rendered on the entire album. Slowly building to an intense close with steady instrumentation and a confident vocal performance from Collins, the song suddenly breathes new life into itself at the halfway point when it introduces the lines
"'cause I love the way that you shock, shock, shock me / follow me to my house and then you rock, rock, rock me / wanna see your eyes wide, not so shut / the queen be cool, don't stop, keep up". The song is arguably the best on the record thanks to a mix between softer-and-harder-rocking tones throughout.
This is a genuine gem of an album. It never overstays its welcome and, at a brisk 45-minute runtime, it continues to deliver great replay-value. While certain songs feature distractingly odd lyrics -
"good lives are gold / like the oldest story / will mine be told / will I'm still young and horny" from
"Good Lives" rings an unusual bell, despite being a strong track all-around - they never subtract from the album's consistency and quality overall.
"Not Gonna Be Alone Tonight" and
"Hey Montana" may be the only songs worth skipping upon replay, but the latter track is still enjoyable thanks an nerve-rattling drum-beat layered throughout as well as Collins subdued vocal delivery that is ever-so-effective during the final lines of the chorus where there's a refreshing break in his voice (
"no one sees you cry"). With a balanced blend of heavy-and-light-rock tracks,
It's All In Your Head succeeds at being an immensely satisfying experience.
