I’m one of the rare people who can’t really listen to music when I’m feeling something negative. That is, until I discovered 311. For some reason, I can listen to their music regardless of the mood I’m in. It was a great surprise for me. Rock. Reggae. Hip hip. Funk. No way to go wrong there. My favorite of their albums is Uplifter, but their newest album, Voyager, might have actually overtaken for my favorite.
I’m in love with it. There’s a nice mix of some of their initial style along with some of their newer music styling. This album definitely didn’t disappoint.
I’m going to go through the song now and touch on each. I’m a lyric AND instrumental lover, so feel free to skip if this doesn’t interest you. These are all my own interpretations of some of my favorite songs and how they struck me.
Crossfire – Yes! What a great opener for this album. “Freak the freckles off your face changing your astronomy” What a great visual in the opening of this song. Then comes the chorus, my head rocking along with this groove. Overall just a good song.
Don’t You Worry – I really love this song. I feel connected with the lyrics and the slow groove. (Hearing it and singing along live in Mansfield, MA last week was excellent!) Helping someone out of their darkness, pulling them through when they feel unreachable… You’re never alone, even if you feel that way. It might be dark now, but there’s light coming. I’ll help you through.
Stainless – Oh boy. This song is epic. Another one they sang last week in Mansfield. From the opening strings, I was hooked. “Not for the faint of heart/It will not be painless/You’ll take your licks and you’ll never come out stainless” Life is meant to mark you up and leave some stains. None of us come out without them. “There’s no end to what you can achieve/But first you gotta believe” Exactly that. We are what we make of ourselves. And SA freakin’ kicks ass throughout.
Space and Time – “All I need is a little space and time to get right back to who I came to be” Pretty self explanatory. “It’s up to you, either you will or you won’t/I think you’re more damned if you don’t” This song is pretty simple. No bells and whistles, though that doesn’t detract from it. Another good one off this album.
Dream State – “I’m only flesh and bone/chasing the unknown/finding my way home” We’re all “waiting for a sign” of something to come, something deeper in meaning. We all dream of something. I like the lyrics of this song a lot. The music itself is good; a good jam to belt out alone in the car.
Good Feeling – This song feels like it should be part of a kids’ movie. I love this song. I feel it. “It’s been forever since we felt good” It’s catchy, fun, and overall one of my favorites off this album. It’s feel good. It talks about being messed up in the past, but moving forward and the optimism attached to it. “Every moment with you/You make everything new/You know we got the real thing/’Cause it feels like the future/When we get together/I got a good feeling”
What the?! – Another great one played in Mansfield. “Yesterday went away/You always raised me higher” I got lost dancing and listening to the music/lyrics at the Xfinity Center with this one. I feel like you can’t help but get a little lost with this one. The instrumentation feels a bit hypnotic from the beginning.
Better Space – Just a feel good song. Neither impressive or not. Good sound.
Dodging Raindrops – This is my favorite off this album. “I know the storm is only mental” Yes. This. It’s hard to put into words why I love this song so much. Humans deserve to be happy. “I’ve been dodging raindrops trying not to get wet” The point is, what’s the point? Seize life. Let go. Give up the control. Live with no regrets. Let life lead you where you’re supposed to be because we too often settle for the clouds over our heads instead of the things that could make us happy. Stop dodging raindrops and blocking yourself from enjoying your life. Get what you want, even if there’s rain along the way. (Like I said… I love this song!)
Rolling Through – Good beat and lyrics. I find myself dancing along. Another one about seizing the day and trusting in yourself. Roll through this life.
Born to Live – Pretty simply, live your life. Truly live it, don’t just zombie through. Feel the life you have. This has a solid beat and simple instrumentation to drive the point home. Grey skies is a nice throwback. I like the notion of seeing the world through my child’s eyes.
Charge It Up – A bit trippy. Nice balance of Nick and SA. The song seems to charge a bit and build a little. Not my favorite, but still a great song.
Lucid Dreams – Another one I love. For so many reasons. When I listen to this song, I literally stop and just melt into the lyrics. “Sometimes sunshine is made of knives/A broken promise in disguise/The stars have got their fingers crossed/I’m underneath the same old sky” We spend so much time in the bad life, stuck in something that isn’t good for us, wishing for things, hoping and praying, that we lose time in our lives that we could actually be going for it. Truly and smartly living in the moment and using our best time awake. Dreams are great, but reality can be too if we make it that way.
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As you can tell, I love this album. If you haven’t jumped on it yet, get there.
What’s your favorite song off this album? What’s your favorite 311 song in general? (Mine is Amber.)
WHIMSICAL FANCY 