Collective Soul - Youth

Collective Soul is back after a four-year hiatus. Despite selling over 10 million albums and being one of the top rock bands of the '90s, Collective Soul has had trouble establishing a presence in the new millennium. So out with the old and in with the Youth.

The new album displays a lot of confidence. Lead singer Ed Roland declares "Oh I'm newly calibrated/All shiny and clean/I'm your recent adaptation/Time to redefine me" on "Better Now". They're no longer the band with the post-grunge sound heard on their first album Hints Allegations And Things Left Unsaid of 1994, and they're comfortable with that.

With Youth, some things have changed while others remain the same. Exit Ross Childress, enter Joel Kosche on lead guitar. Goodbye Atlantic Records, hello EL Music Group. For the first time since '93, they're an indie band again. Collective Soul continues to produce some of the most radio-friendly songs and infectious guitar hooks with machine-like efficiency. Having industry gurus like Tom Lord-Alge and Anthony J. Resta on their production team never hurts either.

Tracks like "Better Now" and "Counting The Days" offer that hard rock arena sound their fans are accustomed to, while "How Do You Love?" and "Perfect To Stay" offer shades of a John Lennon-like quality to them.

During their hiatus, rhythm guitarist Dean Roland and brother Ed each went through a divorce and it shows in Ed's songwriting. Despite having to deal with such difficult emotions, Ed writes with a high level of maturity and contemplative reasoning rather than anger, spite or vengeance. "There's A Way (To Say What You Say)" is a good example, as  is "Him", in which he asks "Was it him? Was it me? Were his lies easier than my truth to believe?"

Overall, Collective Soul, while staying inquisitive, reminds music audiences that it's also okay to be positive and hopeful-minded again, even in a world that's sometimes full of pain.

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