In light of the recent struggle The Starting Line have gone through to keep themselves off an episode of “Behind The Music,” the modern rockers have spent almost two years slaving over their newly released album Direction, which really proves they have come a long way through growth and maturity since their first release back in 2002 for Say It Like You Mean It . Beginning their claim for recognition, the band started off on the Billboard .charts at 109 only to jump dramatically to 18 with Based On A True Story in 2005. With this new album it really has no other place to go but the top of the charts.
The hard work put into this album also contributes to its Grammy nominee producer Howard Benson, who also credits bands like My Chemical Romance and All-American Rejects. Benson assisted in The Starting Line’s vision of reaching out to everyone with their music through the inspiration of artists ranging from Coldplay to James Brown to The Police; this all in the general pursuit of connecting with as many different people as possible.
The band’s first song and name of the album “Direction” focuses on the evolution the band over the years and how the quartet came to be who they are today. Aside from past albums, this one presents a friendlier tone, focusing more on the positive aspects in life. “Something Left To Give” is about keeping people that mean the most close to their hearts, and “I Could Be Wrong” is about taking a chance with your life and what you believe in despite the popular contrary. The album finishes on a very gratifying tone with “What You Want,” which expresses the band’s hopefulness of wanting their audience to enjoy them and their music because it is what they love to do.
Starting with a heart pumping dichotomy of sound, these instrumentals get their listeners tapping their foot to the beat, while at the same time maintaining their Starting Line image, keeping to the familiar but also pushing the envelope to allow room to grow. As the album progresses the melody remains thick and the overall tune is catchy, a definite redemption for the band that has come a long way.
In A Word: Uplifting
