Sixx:A.M.
Modern Vintage
Eleven Seven Music
2014
When a band is new, not matter if its members are well-known or not, it should be treated like a newcomer and not like a band that’s got history. That applies to Sixx:A.M. too. They may be the brainchild of the songwriter and bassist Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) but apart from Nikki the other members are young ones who have not got Nikki’s experience and background.
“Modern Vintage” is the band’s third full-length release and according to Nikki “like the 70s bands also Sixx:A.M is rooted in songwriting, musicianship and lyrics – three core elements that helped to define that era”. How can one disagree on that? Then again, I wish those words were true… at least on the songwriting part but they ain’t! Starting from the weak rocker “Stars” which is the second single and video… with the cheesy and absurd lyrics “Do you wanna see heaven tonight / Do you wanna see the stars before they fall / Do you wanna be my love tonight!” on the refrain… how more mundane can it be? Totally tacky! Then comes the first single & video, the modern pop-rock single “Gotta Get It Right”… with the great lyrics “When the angels break their wings / They crash and stumble / If we could have this one night over / Gotta get it right / Cause we were young and indestructible / With any luck we'll be unstoppable”… please make it stop! Ohh there’s worse too! The disco pop-rock “Miracle” – for a sec I thought I was listening to the mighty Prince! Yeah, so tasteless and trashy!
I get the “modern” word on the title. This album is indeed modern rock, with lots of pop-rock, hard rock, post-grunge, alternative & glam elements… but when the “vintage” thing appears, things are somewhat lame, or something like that! Wanna try “Before It’s Over” out?! The production is fine but a bit too plastic at places probably. Moreover, the robotic angel-chick on the cover has nothing to do with the music at all! I was hoping for something at least listenable here… but all I get is a pretty tangled and dull album. Why don’t Nikki and the other guys in Motley Crue, leave all about the final tour aside and get things right like they did in the 80s? They can still do it… why let it go and deal with pretty silly stuff?
“Modern Vintage” is the band’s third full-length release and according to Nikki “like the 70s bands also Sixx:A.M is rooted in songwriting, musicianship and lyrics – three core elements that helped to define that era”. How can one disagree on that? Then again, I wish those words were true… at least on the songwriting part but they ain’t! Starting from the weak rocker “Stars” which is the second single and video… with the cheesy and absurd lyrics “Do you wanna see heaven tonight / Do you wanna see the stars before they fall / Do you wanna be my love tonight!” on the refrain… how more mundane can it be? Totally tacky! Then comes the first single & video, the modern pop-rock single “Gotta Get It Right”… with the great lyrics “When the angels break their wings / They crash and stumble / If we could have this one night over / Gotta get it right / Cause we were young and indestructible / With any luck we'll be unstoppable”… please make it stop! Ohh there’s worse too! The disco pop-rock “Miracle” – for a sec I thought I was listening to the mighty Prince! Yeah, so tasteless and trashy!
I get the “modern” word on the title. This album is indeed modern rock, with lots of pop-rock, hard rock, post-grunge, alternative & glam elements… but when the “vintage” thing appears, things are somewhat lame, or something like that! Wanna try “Before It’s Over” out?! The production is fine but a bit too plastic at places probably. Moreover, the robotic angel-chick on the cover has nothing to do with the music at all! I was hoping for something at least listenable here… but all I get is a pretty tangled and dull album. Why don’t Nikki and the other guys in Motley Crue, leave all about the final tour aside and get things right like they did in the 80s? They can still do it… why let it go and deal with pretty silly stuff?