Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY XAVIER JOHNSON
Since its formation in 1992, Collective Soul carved out its place in rock music’s canon during the 90’s post-grunge movement that combined their weighty tones and unpredictable sound with more familiar, melodic mainstream rock sensibilities. The groundwork laid by groups like Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, and Bush paved the way for the sound that dominated the mid-2000’s rock scene.
It’s a genre dominated by big riffs and songs about introspection and lost love. Many of Collective Soul’s contemporaries often get a bad rap for not evolving with the times; leading to their later work being largely forgotten for their early classics.
Collective Soul is entering its 30th year as a group and continues to put out consistent, quality records. The Ed Roland-led outfit has found success in sticking to its refined, signature sound.
This isn’t to say Collective Soul has released the same record 11 times. The raw grunge-inspired sound of their 1995 self-titled album is distinct from the dated turn-of-the-century stylings of their 2000 release Blender. However, what stands out is that every record still sounds like Collective Soul. The riffs, groove, and energy are all there and that doesn’t change for their most recent record Vibrating.
Coming off 2019’s Blood, Collective Soul was tasked with following up on one of their most well-received albums. In many ways, Vibrating follows the same formula as Blood. There are great riffs all around, a mid-album slowdown, and one anthemic power ballad. There’s a structure that Collective Soul has dialed in and it’s on full display in their newest record.
Vibrating feels like a product of another era but isn’t gimmicky or nostalgia bait for lapsed rock fans. In an age of inflated track lists to boost streaming numbers, Vibrating comes in at ten tracks. Instead of trying to reinvent their sound, Collective Soul sticks to the tried and true rock formula that’s worked for them for three decades.
What keeps the record from feeling stale despite not throwing the listener any curve balls is the energetic performances and clear love that went into each song.
Collective Soul sets the tone immediately with the opening track “Cut the Cord,” a fast-paced rock anthem with a crunchy riff, driving beat, and palpable energy that continues throughout the album’s 40-minute runtime.
The album avoids modern rock pitfalls of overproduction that saps the energy integral to the genre. Roland and co-producer Shawn Grove strike a balance between a clean sound without stripping the raw power from the performances.
“Hey Rabb, Rabb, Rabb. Give me a groove. I’ll catch up to you. And the guys, ya’ll drop in when you feel it.” Rolland exclaims at the start of “Take,” a melodic jam with some of the smoothest drum work on the record courtesy of Johnny Rabb. This small moment further shows how the album exudes a live quality to it that became a standard for many of their post-grunge contemporaries.
Vibrating opens with four-straight hard-hitting songs before transitioning into its second phase, marked by melodious tracks and diverse instrumentation while retaining the album’s infectious groove. “Rule No. 1” is an acoustic-backed power ballad with a grandiose string section that has become somewhat of a staple throughout the band’s discography. “A Conversation With” shines with the support of a punchy piano and a casual pace that makes for the most delightful song on the record.
There isn’t a song that overstays its welcome. The only track that surpasses the five-minute mark is “Back Again,” a dramatic power ballad made for a long Sunday drive or the band’s mid-concert come-down moment. The closing moments of the record are a fitting conclusion to a record that’s bursting with life. The booming riffs and anthemic chanting on “Where Do I Go” offers relief like the final note in a major scale.
Vibrating won’t reinvent rock music nor will it subvert the listener’s expectations. That’s perfectly fine; what the record does deliver is 40 minutes of rock solid music from a band that knows their sound and executes it as well as they ever have.
