You Never Know:

A trippy Hanson song? Who would have guessed? The bizarre little background skittering noises in the beginning make for a new sound. I am less immediately effected by this song, I suspect because it's on the demo and I've already grown accustomed to it. The music is funky, different, and remarkable, the lyrics not bad and the vocals, as usual, *incredible.* I can't see it being a single, but it's fun to listen to.

Lyric pick: "Who's got your number, baby?" I should only be so lucky as to be able to answer this question with "Taylor Hanson, thanks" ;)

If Only:

The scratching on this one is very forward... far more obvious than in Mmmbop. As for whether this is a good thing or not, I'm not sure about it. (Definitely not sure, might I add..hehe...). All in all, it's yet another delicious pop romp brought to us by the brothers H, cheerful, longing, and skillfully executed all at once.

Lyric pick: "All I care about is you and me and us and now" proves that Hanson *must* have been reading my fiction all along... where else did they learn the fine art of harnessing the run-on-sentence that ate New Jersey?

This Time Around:

And now, for something completely different. Really. If Billboard thinks that Taylor's vocals on this song are "magnificent" I can hardly wait to hear what they think of the rest of the album. I love that this song sounds like absolutely nothing else on the radio; it combines the best of pop and rock into a masterpiece showcasing something for everyone. There's a mad beat to rock out to, but also gorgeous piano solos and smooth vocals, which adds up to form a contrast to bring out the best.

Lyric pick: "Cannons ablazing shower these moonlit skies." Why, oh why, did they have to make a video for the Mandy Moore set? Couldn't they have done the lyrics justice? Take a beautiful song about fighting for what really matters in life, and *boom* performance video with a rat? No. Imagine what could have been done with this, if say the guy who directed Dave Matthews' "Don't Drink the Water" had been called in.

Runaway Run:

Love from first listen, obviously. But who would have guessed he was *really saying* "as usual long black satin lace"? Ric Ocasick and the Cars of yore can be clearly heard in the synthesized rock and the dense harmonies. Beyond this, even, is the totally understandable Go-go comparison. A stunner for Taylor's voice, but it seems to have lost some of the intimacy of the demo. Sad, but still an extraordinary effort and well worth inclusion on the CD, not to mention perhaps radio playlists.

Lyric pick: "I can tell every breath that you're breathing, I can feel every thought that you're thinking." Wow. Just wow. Beautiful, cheese filled, two hooves up.

Save Me:

And to think I once thought this song was nothing more than an inside joke about why Taylor wasn't at a Yahoo! chat. Lyrically and musically beautiful, Save Me is the culmination off western civilization. Okay, so perhaps I overstate my case, but it's *really* good. A completely new Hanson brought gorgeously to life for the first time, along with Taylor's falsetto. Despite the love, I must admit to a little chagrin at a few slightly facile rhymes. "I don't want to be just drifting through the sea..." Ouch.

Lyric pick: "Loving you, like I never have before..." The first introduction to the amazing force of Taylor's adult voice brings to mind sweaty palms and giddy evenings in front of glowing monitors and liquid audio.

Dying to Be Alive:

A good song that just doesn't do anything for me. Having heard the demo, I think they've taken something potentially extraordinary and made of it just another song. It sounds nice, but Hanson seem to be too drowned out by Rose and the gang, who admittedly do a great job.

Lyric pick: "In the days come, why did I wait? You can't just leave your life to fate." The line that launched a thousand teenies, ladies.

Can't Stop:

Deliriously catchy, a rocking beat, amazing vocals, and distinctly exotic flare combine to make *my favorite song* of the CD. A full blown aural assault, the music is intense and the vocals are *incredible*, displaying the wonder that is Taylor Hanson. The Hanson-goes-hip-hop vocal break is equal parts bizarre and delightful, and I can't wait to find out the story behind it. A summer anthem waiting to happen!

Lyric pick: "I want it day or night." Even though we know he's talking about Chex mix, this is a sentence that I for some reason like to hear from Taylor =X

I Wish That I Was There:

Zac takes the lead! For once! It's a nice, serviceable song, if a tad bit repetitive.

Lyric pick: "Won't you tempt me when you're not here?" Huh? That's what it sounds like, and I like it, even if it makes zero sense.

Love Song:

Beautiful and positively atmospheric. The slowest number on the CD is one of its best, methinks, highlighting Ike's tender side and his often underrated voice. It's especially weird to have heard this song initially over two and a half years ago in RTA. Remember when we thought it was about "crescent moons"? When maybe it *was* about "crescent moons"?

Lyric pick: "All I can remember is I loved her from the start." Isaac, oh Isaac. Please say that there's someone out there who deserves you.

Sure About It:

Ah, Hanson's world. Where music sounds happy even though there are bad guys with drugs (in this particular fairy tale, you can tell the bad from the good by the trenchcoats.) The basic premise of the song is as illusive as the great "I want it that way" conundrum...what does it all *mean*? Is Taylor unsure about using drugs? About the worth of someone who does in spite of her problems? The music on this one is remarkably different from anything we've seen from Hanson studio albums, almost reminiscent of the acoustic garage bits from the Albertane tour. More simple, more guitar based, more country-rock. I had hoped that this song would grow some lyrics post demo-stage, but it's still nice.

Lyric pick: I have to go with Jackie's favorite: "my faucet's running and my car got towed." What our boys can't make sound good ;)

Hand in Hand:

One of the few non-Taylorcentric songs on the album is quite nice. The music is more fully realized than the demo version, and it's nice to finally be able to understand more of the lyrics. It may be telling about the strength of this song's identity that I just totally wrote a review for what I thought was it, but was actually lonely again =X It may be proof of the existence of a higher power that the 10 ungratifying minutes of frantic "say goodbye" at the end of the demo was cut...

In the City:

So I could totally go to prison for saying this, but Taylor Hanson is a *saucy* little dumpling. The music is enthralling, and the vocals literally amazing. If Billboard thought that Taylor's voice in TTA was jaw dropping, this is going to cause heart attacks. Once again the vocal interlude in the middle of the song is an unexpected, yet welcome change. All in all, it's completely different from anything else on the radio: a sultry growl tailor ::cough:: made for a live performance. Hanson once again show that they can truly rock out.

Lyric pick: "Do you love me, little pretty?" After much debate, I think this is really what he's saying. I just thought that "and I'm pretty" seemed to make so much sense ;)

A Song to Sing:

If your best friend moved away, you spilled your ice cream cone, and simultaneously found out that Santa doesn't exist, it would be rated at a 9 on the depress'o'meter. This song would be like a 32. Despite this, it's beautiful and longing and tender and sweet, and totally hopeful. Built to be on Dawson's Creek and on my CD player, 24/7.

Lyric pick: Just one? Not even: "I never been just longing for your loving, never been just wearing down to nothing..." ; "All I've found in reason is reason just to not believe." ; "It's too late to go home all alone" ; "you're the tar in the old cigar.."

Smile:

I must admit to not liking it on the MOE clip, not liking it on the demo, yet liking it on the CD. It turned into quite the rocking little song, thanks to turning up the 'funk' a few notches ;) I would like to have seen this on the CD more than, for example, Lonely Again or Sure About It.

Lyric pick: "This world has taken me as far as it can without your smile." Awww


Lonely Again:

Not a bad song, but not a particularly good song. It's the dark side of Ike, the opposite of Love Song: unremarkable and uninspired. And with a wooaaahh sha-na-na chorus. Been there, done that. It's nice to be able to finally unravel the lyrics, but I can't imagine must appeal held within them for non-hardcore Hanson fans.

Lyric pick: "Caught between myself and me, and I can't find the bridge from my mind to reality." Wow. So he reads fanfic, does he? ;)

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