Vertical Horizon - Go

If you were five years ago, and you weren’t deaf, then you have probably heard Vertical Horizon about 1000 times. Their last release Everything You Want spawned a number of radio hits that just wouldn’t go away. The interesting thing was that whether you loved them or hated them, you couldn’t help but sing along every now and then. Now its four years later, the boys have finally released the follow-up to their breakthrough, and you can be sure the acoustic jams will abound. But is it any good? Go represents the embodiment of the old saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Boston based foursome doesn’t stray far from the formula that made them platinum artists, and that is at once the downfall and the success of the album. There is nothing on this album that challenges you. Not one track verges to the edges of the envelope, nor explores foreign territory. All eleven tracks stick to the basic formula that the band has perfected. Whether you want to or not, you can’t help but bob your head along to tracks like “It’s Over”, “Underwater” and “Echo”. This is one of those albums that scare me a little bit. On first listen I thought it was kind of bland, not horrible, but nothing I would buy or listen to more than necessary to review it. Then a funny thing happened. The end of the work day came and I realized that somehow I had listened to the album all day, and mysteriously I knew all the words. And that, in short, is the story of this whole album. Vertical Horizon might not be cementing their place in any Halls of Fame with this release, and they aren’t likely to go down as innovators of sound, but there is something to be said for a catchy tune. It’s a good album to just relax to and unwind while singing along a few times. It isn’t rocket science, but that is why it succeeds. Sometimes you just want something that is mellow sounding and something you don’t have to think about. [www.verticalhorizon.com]