Nobody Can Save Me
Much to my surprise this is actually a strong start. I groaned at the auto-tuned opening, but the track itself is an effective look at Chester's cycle of depression. He sings about looking to external factors to make him feel better, but the real solution is up to him to realise. The poppier production works to contrast the dark subject matter, making for the best song I've heard so far. Now on to one I'm uncomfortably familiar with.
Good Goodbye (featuring Pusha T and Stormzy)
The problem with Good Goodbye is Linkin Park. Chester is just the chorus guy, and a bland one at that, and Mike's verse is his usual posturing rubbish. Mike's confrontational style used to be compelling, but success has brought an apathy that makes it feel like he's rapping into the void. Seriously, he just sounds like he's overcompensating. Pusha T's verse is obvious bragging that is found in every rap song. Stormzy is the only one who seems to realise what this song is about. His verses are less confrontational, and more musing about what he has gained from his success. The song sucks, but at least Stormzy is a positive presence.
Talking to Myself
Another Chester lead vocal, and finally some actual guitar. Talking to Myself feels like an old B-side in which the band are trying to work through a more poppy tone, it's not great, but it isn't all bad either. Chester's songs, at least so far, have felt like a more natural fit for this new direction, but there are a lot of bugs to be ironed out here. Talking to Myself feels like it's been polished too much and would have benefited by ramping the rock aspects up rather than toning the pop done.
Battle Symphony
This is Chester's fight song, his live and die song. In all seriousness, the problem here is that Chester lays it on too thick, that's right I'm accusing Linkin Park of laying it on too thick, I've finally got there. Battle Symphony isn't a disaster but it does highlight how mawkish Chester's lyrics can be outside of a hard rock context. If this was a head banger I might be able to forgive it, but this is where the new musical direction lets the song down
Invisible
Now this is more like it from Mike. One of my favourite parts of A Thousand Suns was the fact that Mike's singing provided a great counterpart to Chester, but here he shows how much he has improved. As I said earlier, Mike's rapping has become hollow, but his choice to sing here, and to sing well, adds a lot of feeling to a song that's about balancing his identity of being in Linkin Park to that of being a father, and how these duelling identities inform and contradict each other. Invisible is proof that Mike still has a lot of compelling things to say when he shies away from bravado.
Heavy (Featuring Kiiara)
My opinion of Heavy has improved slightly since I first reviewed the song, and it definitely works better in the context of the album rather than as a single. Kiiara provides good vocals, it helps that this is more natural territory for her, but Chester really lets the song down. Vocally, it feels like he's pulling his punches, and while the lyrics aren’t great there are a few opportunities for him to let lose. Alas, he takes none of these, meaning that his contribution leaves the song feeling flat.
Sorry for Now
This song would be so perfect if it wasn't for the atrocious dub-step. Using much of what makes Invisible great, Sorry for Now adds Chester into the mix with lyrics about missing their family when they are touring, or recording around the world. But those dub-step bits really are awful. When the first part hit I actually flinched. A perfectly great song, and it's ruined by a horrendously outdated trend; it doesn't work for Fallout Boy, why the hell did they think it would work for Linkin Park?
Halfway Right
This song doesn't make sense. If you're wrong you're not halfway right, it's not possible. Chester can plead artistic license for the chorus but that doesn't mean it's not a shit line. The worst thing about Halfway Right, which I will now refer to as All the Way Wrong, is that Chester sounds old. I'm not trying to belittle his past struggles, but he can't put them across in an interesting way, which is kind of his whole skill set. He is the guy that always talks about his problems, he's obsessed with them, but in the past he made them so much more compelling that this pop fart. This is starting to get tiring.
One More Light
A title track is usually special, something that is either a little different than what's came before, or the defining version of the sound a band wants to communicate with the album. Here Linkin Park go for something sombre, as Chester mulls on the nature of existence, and feelings of insignificance. Is it bad? No. Is it memorable? I couldn't tell you: I've already forgot it. Thus Linkin Park have failed the title track challenge.
Sharp Edges
The weirdest thing just happened. Linkin Park just reminded me of Kelly Clarkson, I am unnerved. Sharp Edges is a very strange song. It doesn't fit at all with the rest of the album, and Chester's lyrics are clichés piled on top of each other, say, like a house of cards. The music is fine, with the rolling acoustic guitar giving a nice, comfortable, sense of momentum, but Sharp Edges is more of an oddity than anything else.
Final Thoughts
This was not the album I was expecting. For one, it's slightly better than my worst predictions, but most of the songs fall flat usually due to silly lyrics, and Chester's tamest delivery ever. There were some bright spots, the opener was fine, and Invisible is an actual good song, but mostly One More Light is a disappointment. Linkin Park have the potential to be a great pop band, but this album wastes most of it. I do prefer it to The Hunting Party, that album blows.
