I am just going to go ahead and say it: The Barenaked Ladies just haven't been the same since Steven Page left in 2009. That's not meant as a slight toward Ed Robertson and the rest of the band as they have produced some solid singles since then, but the combination of Page and Robertson just gave the Barenaked Ladies something special. The band's new album, In Flight, sounds a lot like other LPs since 2009, and that might give you an inclination about what to expect.
Where Barenaked Ladies were once lyrically sarcastic with words that sometimes might fit better with doom metal but sung over an alternative-pop bedrock, the band has since grown into their middle ages and the sound of the records sounds more like dad rock than something slightly dangerous. They don't make bad music, but their songs don't exactly make you want to stomp on the floor just for fun.
There are some winners on In Flight. "One Night," for one, punches around and sounds more rock than many of the other tracks. Robertson has always had an excellent way of delivering his lyrics and he has a fine voice but has the ability to bounce his tone. His voice is one of the instruments that still makes the Barenaked Ladies very listenable.
Barenaked Ladies In Flight fails to inspire
But that is in contrast to guitarist Kevin Hearn's voice. He always sounds plodding and is not a gifted singer. On previous records, it felt like the band gave Hearns songs to sing simply to say, "Thanks for being a part of the band." But on more recent records, Hearn has more tracks with lead vocals. Almost every song he is featured on seems like a dirge that you just want to want to fast-forward.
On In Flight, Hearn has lead vocals the third song ("Enough Time"), the ninth song ("See the Tower), and the closer ("The Peace Lady"). I bring up the spacing of the songs because each one thwarts any momentum the record has toward being good. You know with a Hearn-led vocal track that the music is going to drown you in slowness while Hearn's voice lacks any charisma to push you through to the next song.
The album also mostly deals with growing old and looking ahead to life after music. The band also creates tracks in various styles so one might wonder if there was no real vision for what the album should be other than a mix of singles that aren't overly good. Plus, the Robertson tracks feel like a different band than the Hearn songs. Overall, In Flight is a true disappointment.
Rating: 4 out of 10