The Used - Lies for the Liars: Yes, we all die eventually you don't need to shove it down our throats

This is my first time listening to a full length album by The Used, so I didn't have too much of an opinion going into this thing. And to be frank, it's better to have a clear mind about these things because bias doesn't help a bit. It did relatively well for itself on the Billboard 200 when it came out in 2007, one of the top ten.

The songs focus on the fun ideas of death, time, relationships (surprisingly enough, the positive and negative aspects) and the overall disgusting aspects of human nature. Basic angst material, nothing short of expected. The lyrics themselves aren't anything too complicated, simplistic enough so angst ridden teens won't need to think too hard about what they are listening too. Since the person who wrote these songs is a high school drop out, this does not surprise me.

I think that is enough on ripping on these guys, let me tell you what I did like. Although angst, this isn't our Green Day-grade mass produced bullshit that we seem to find on the radio nowadays between the Lady Gaga songs and today's sorry excuses for Alternative Rock (I'm talking about you Nickelback). I expected some very angry music, 12 tracks of bitter hatred and rants of futility and yes, The Used did deliver but they also offered some rather nice ballads as well, like "Smother Me". Soft and slow music about love in an album I was thinking would be all brambles and thorns? What sorcery is this!?

And then we have some tracks like "Paralyzed" and "With Me Tonight" that had a HORN SECTION. Trumpets! I was ecstatic when I discovered they had thrown that in there, along with the strings in songs like "Bird and the Worm". We have music that is slow, jumpy and of course straight rock and that diversity in sound was not something I was counting on but definitely appreciated.

The album has some good songs around the beginning and the middle, but it tends to lose my interest towards the end. I had to listen to it a couple times to begin to appreciate it. If I was going to give it some sort of rating, it would something along the lines of a 3.5 out 5. Personally, ratings have a nasty way of turning people off to music (which is the opposite of what I want to do most of the time) so despite Mr. 3.5, do give the album a go before making your final judgment.