10 Years- Division

Universal/Republic

May 20, 2008, 01:42 AM

The Autumn Effect set the bar for 10 Years impossibly high. Introspective, brutally honest and perfectly crafted, that was the kind of debut record other bands can only dream about. Such a level of excellence, however, leaves one curious as to what the next record will sound like. More dark, deep, and extraordinarily personal tracks openly embraced by a cult following, but misunderstood by the ringtone generation? Another collection of brilliant songs that only see a reflection of daylight instead of basking openly in its full splendor? It has been almost 3 years since that major label debut, and in that time, the band had been dropping clues about the new record and what to expect. In hindsight, everything from their producer troubles to Jesse's haircut to 'All Your Lies' to the unfortunate death of Brad Renfro tipped their hand as to what would be on Division...so why am I still surprised by what I hear?


When I first heard 'Beautiful' on the radio, I got a little sick to my stomach. It's so obvious. Sure, Jesse's flair for flowery language is in full effect, but I didn't need a dictionary or a secret decoder ring to know what he was talking about. I also thought the song sounded like it would have fit on The Autumn Effect...and that wasn't good enough for me. I became worried that 10 Years was pulling a Nickelback. I listened to that song probably a thousand times, and the moment the video was released I obsessed over it, desperate to find justification for it being a GREAT song. I needed to 'get it' and I just didn't. The radio track and the video didn't convince me the song is amazing. But I'll tell you what did- the acoustic version. Stripped naked, 'Beautiful' is an incredible song. The way it was dressed up is what didn't make sense to me. I had to hear the whole album.


I bought Division the day it came out within minutes of waking up. This is honestly the first album I have paid for this year. Worth it? Well I was soon going to find out that I had vastly underpaid. You see, it was priced at $6.99. That's around 50 cents per track. I would have paid 10 bucks just for the first song, 'Actions and Motives.' This song is BALLS OUT, and is the perfect opening song for this album. It has it all. The highs, the lows, the clever lyrics, the killer vocals, the breakdowns and most importantly, the pulse. The pulse is the living, breathing energy that gives a song eternal life. Its what ties a series of songs together to turn them into a cohesive album. It makes it a living organism rather than a worthless piece of plastic or series of ones and zeros, depending on your preferred format.


The pulse persists through the entirety of the album, from anthem to ballad and back again. 'Just Can't Win' is probably their most mainstream song to date, destined for radio success. It's straightforward and simple, and leads nicely into 'Beautiful.' This song is already receiving big attention from radio, and in the context of the record, it's placed perfectly. It's not as simple as the song before and gives a nice build for the next track '11:00 AM (Daydreamer)'. This song makes me imagine some guy in a tie going berserk on his coworkers in a cubicle farm. Just absolutely losing it and slow motion shooting the place up. Blood spraying everywhere. That bad ass fantasy aside, the song is great. He is saying what I have said to so many people. You only get one shot at this life...why give up so easy and retire to a life of complacent irrelevance? Consume. Breed. Die. It doesn't have to be that way.


There are two interludes on the album, the first bridges 'Daydreamer' and 'Dying Youth.' This is a band that I have always loved acoustically, and I respect that every member of the band sees the bigger picture. Their musicianship is always spot on, but their understanding of what makes a great album is what makes their albums so great. The power of negative space and a careful selection of what to fill that space with. This interlude leads into what I think is the best song 10 Years has ever written. 'Dying Youth' is absolute perfection. While deeply personal, it's a song I think anyone could relate to. Musically, it's a powerful lament delivered with delicate subtlety. It's brilliant in every way.


'Focus' really sticks out on this album. It sounds nothing like a 10 Years song. It's a love song...about a girl. No veiled mention of sex or passion buried in some larger statement about life. It's simply about being really into a girl. If that's not astonishing enough, musically it doesn't even vibe like the average 10 Years song. It's almost...happy. When I saw it was co-written by Dean Deleo from Stone Temple Pilots, it made much more sense. You can hear his influence on the song. It's a great song, just totally unexpected. A pleasant surprise, as if the record weren't surprising enough already.


But hold on to your hat...the next song is 'Drug of Choice.' It's not about drugs, oddly enough. And even more perplexing is that it's pretty close to a punk song. There are gang vocals, fist pumping cues and drum breakdowns. It's an excellent and propulsive track that takes a look into the constant bombardment of distractions in the world. The band gets back to their core with Picture Perfect (In Your Eyes) with all of the dynamics, build and big vocals we have come to expect from this band. It is followed by another interlude called 'Planets 2' which includes vocalist Alaina Alexander eerily chanting the lyrics to 'All Your Lies.' It starts out weird and keeps getting weirder until it finally breaks into the actual song 'All Your Lies.' This song was released in between albums and it was speculated the track would not be included on the new album. But, alas, there is it with the introduction of piano and sitar. It's slightly toned down compared to what was leaked previously, but it fits on the album in a way the old version simply wouldn't have.


When I first listened to the album I wasn't paying attention to the track list. I assumed the acoustic ballad, 'So Long Goodbye' was the grand finale. It is an excellent song, and 10 Years are superior acoustic performers. However, as I got up to turn off the player, fully satisfied, the music didn't stop. I sat back and listened to the soft intro to what I assumed was a bonus track, similar to The Autumn Effect. Boy was I wrong. The curiously titled 'Alabama' is a hard rocking song with a gigantic hook and some of the most fun musicianship on the record. The band then slides into the nearly 6 minute final track 'Proud of You.' This could hardly be considered a ballad, despite the piano and female backing vocals. The best word for it would probably be 'enchanting.' The perfect closer for a perfect album.


There isn't a bad song on the record. Not one. There isn't a throw away. There isn't one single track that could have possibly been up for debate. Although significantly more mainstream than their major label debut, Division reminds us that 'mainstream' is not synonymous with 'watered down.' It simply means 'accessible.' Where The Autumn Effect garnered a cult following of depressed, self-conscious artistically minded people, Division is for anyone who just likes great music. You don't need an exhaustive grasp of the English language paired with charts and graphs to decipher what the songs are about. They're what you think they're about...and they're damn good. Everyone knows what the 'sophomore slump' is. Everyone except 10 Years. Division sticks a flag in the ground and boldly claims this land for superior music. 10 Years IS modern rock. Take notes.