Review: Sixx:A.M. - Modern Vintage
- Oct 10, 2014
- 2 min read
By Tim Hurst, Contributor
[Eleven Seven Music; 2014]
Rating: 4/10
Key Tracks: “Relief,” “Let’s Go”
It’s better to be bad than boring, and Sixx:A.M.’s latest album Modern Vintage has a little of both. Seven years ago Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue launched the first album from his side project Sixx:A.M., Heroin Diaries Soundtrack; it worked well with James Michael’s soaring vocals and DJ Ashba’s experience on lead guitar. 2014 has brought the release of a third full-length album and nothing is better.
To be completely honest, quite a few things are laughably bad here. For starters, the album is just boring. Tracks tend to blend together and some, like “Give Me a Love,” just seem to have all been done before; nothing is new. “Hyperventilate” feels awkward. On a mainstream rock album, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any different.
The lyrics are the easily the worst part of the album. Some songs such as “Get Ya Some” are rotten to the core. “Everybody get some / Everybody get some / You gotta get you some / You gotta get yourself some / You gotta get you some / You gotta get yourself some.”
You never have to try too hard to guess the song title, as a majority of the choruses contain few words or phrases outside the title. “Get Ya Some” is the prime example of this, in addition to “High on the Music” and “Let’s Go.” It sounds more like Sixx:A.M. named the songs before writing the lyrics, then couldn’t find enough inspiration to actually write about the theme so the band simply filled in the gaps with cute little rhymes.
With that being said, Ashba shines on tracks such as “Relief,” “High on the Music,” “Hyperventilate” and piano-driven ballad “Drive.” The 20 seconds or so when he gets to solo are the only points that are actually listenable, especially during the worst songs.
Michael’s vocals seem weaker on Modern Vintage than ever before. On nearly every track his voice is shaky and it adds an awkward feel that shouldn’t be present. He goes into a strained falsetto at times, like in the chorus of “Get Ya Some,” and it’s even shakier than his chest voice.
This release isn’t going to attract any new fans to the band and it’s sure to turn off some old fans. If you’re a die-hard Nikki Sixx fan or just long for Michael’s voice, Modern Vintage is still worth checking out. If not, there’s nothing on this album that hasn’t been done elsewhere or with the band’s previous releases.
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