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Rate, with detail, the OLP albums by Raine's vocals (no, this isn't a falsetto rant, you might be surprised)

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Rate, with detail, the OLP albums by Raine's vocals (no, this isn't a falsetto rant, you might be surprised)

Postby Heavy Alibi » 3/6/2011, 1:36 pm

Rank the albums from best to worst when considering only or especially Raine's vocals and overall vocal presence on the album.


1. Clumsy (1997)

The perfect blend of Naveed's raw emotive voice and the signature high-falsetto we see in the next couple of albums. I love everything about his voice in this album, no complaints at all. In Happiness..., his voice becomes more of an exaggeration of many of the new aspects we see in Clumsy (when compared to Naveed). Some of the high-falsetto vocalizations on Happiness... go a bit over the top where most listeners are concerned, and although I really do love Happiness..., I think there's a bit too much emphasis on the falsetto and less on all the other great aspects of Raine's voice. Clumsy is the perfect blend.

Best vocal song: Superman's Dead


2. Naveed (1995)

This is definitely the album with the most raw emotion in Raine's voice. He crunches the lyrics with his gritty, grungy vocals and it really makes the songs come alive. Had these songs been sung in any old normal voice, they probably wouldn't be as memorable or notable. And while many say Gravity was a "mainstream album" for its time in 2002, you could argue that Naveed was "mainstream" for its time as well, and it's Raine's vocals that make both Naveed and Gravity stand out.

Best vocal song: Under Zenith


3. Gravity (2002)

Yes, I miss Raine's falsetto, and yes, Gravity isn't really a favorite album of mine on its own. More like fifth, after the first four (chronological) albums. But that's because of the lyrics, melodies, and style of music. Gravity's music is very mainstream, which I don't like as much as their previous more unique work, and although Raine's voice has lost most of the signature falsetto in this album, his voice is absolutely dominating. Excellent mix of his signature sound with a fresh, modern, lower-octave spin on it. So although the style of music in this album might not make it my favorite, Raine's voice is great. The emotion in his voice seems to be just as raw as it was in Naveed. I also feel that his voice reached its absolute peak here, and that it went downhill from this point.

Best vocal song: Not Enough


4. Spiritual Machines (2001)

After upping the falsetto and atmospheric vocals in Happiness..., Spiritual Machines seems to iron out much of the previous signature quirks that we see in songs like Annie, Consequences of Laughing, Happiness & the Fish and other songs. Raine's voice becomes more of a linear, beautiful, almost spiritually soothing (appropriate for the album, right?) presence, and it really works to make songs like Are You Sad and The Wonderful Future some of the most beautiful songs in OLP's collection. There's also a hint of what's to come in Gravity, in songs like Life. I struggled to decide whether I would place SM above Gravity, but ultimately the vocals are much more important to the songs in Gravity than they were to the songs in Spiritual Machines. Atmospheric instrumentals in Spiritual Machines contribute much to the album as well, and Raine's voice acts as more of an extension of these instrumentals than a presence on its own. I feel that with SM and Happiness..., there is more of a focus on instrumental and melodic elements than on Raine's voice, and when his voice is focused on, it's exaggerated.

Best vocal song: Are You Sad?/The Wonderful Future (tie)


5. Happiness... (1999)

It's not that Happiness... is "low" on my list, it's just that Raine's voice feels "middle of the road" for me in this album. It feels like he's trying to exaggerate many of the quirks that emerged in Clumsy, and I must admit that in a few of the songs this is taken to the extreme. The most personally significant Our Lady Peace song to me, Thief, is on this album, and although Raine's vocals make up a large part of what makes that song amazing, I feel that it's the melody and lyrics that really make the song stand out the most. In other Happiness... songs, the exaggerated falsetto makes it harder to appreciate and enjoy some of the lyrics and melodies at times. Raine's falsetto is amazing, but it can be overused. Raine's voice still shines in this album, but I just feel that it excelled more in the other 4 albums. The next album, however, is a big drop for me.

Best vocal song: Stealing Babies


[GAP]


6. Healthy in Paranoid Times (2005)

I must say that I see a big nosedive with Raine's voice in this album. The gem in this album is certainly Angels/Losing/Sleep, but that one song is basically the only vocal bright spot on this album, besides a few parts from Al Genina and Wipe That Smile Off Your Face. I feel that Raine's voice has all but lost its unique distinction at this point, and although it certainly has its moments in this album, it sounds nothing like the Raine from the previous 5 albums to me. In all previous albums, Raine's voice always sounded familiar and outstanding. I'm not sure if it was Bob Rock telling Raine to tone down even more than he did in Gravity, or if it's just Raine getting older and having his voice change naturally, but I have to admit that I am disappointed with his voice here. While his voice shined and dominated in the rock anthems of Gravity, it just falters here. Again, nothing to do with falsetto. Just the voice itself.

Best vocal song: Angels/Losing/Sleep


7. Burn Burn (2009)

I just don't know what to say about this album. In some songs like Dreamland, it feels like Raine has forgotten to sing melodies, and it just comes off as half-singing/half-spoken word, like with "It's Dreamland, the kids are alright". I keep imagining the Raine of yesteryear singing some of the lyrics, and I think it could have been so much better executed, falsetto or not. Raine does seem to put forth a lot of efforts in the choruses of many Burn Burn songs, but the verses leave something to be desired. I don't know if the lack of an outside producer had anything to do with it, or if it's just a natural progression of Raine's vocals as he ages and matures more and more. Theme-wise, Burn Burn is similar to Gravity, but while Raine's vocals bring Gravity's songs alive and launches them to the skies, the vocals in Burn Burn actually tend to make them less enjoyable. It's not that the voice is BAD, it's just that it's nothing in comparison to the first five chronological albums. But, as we've seen in OLP's recent SM/Clumsy tour, Raine is still very much capable of knocking our socks off with his voice. I really hope he wows us with the next album.

Best vocal song: Paper Moon/Escape Artist (some parts of each are good, some lacking)
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Postby DG » 3/6/2011, 6:25 pm

What I will say, is I agree about Gravity, some really dominating vocals on that CD. It's one of my favorite records to play while driving.
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Postby MindsOnLoan » 3/7/2011, 9:23 pm

1. Happiness

I personally love the fact that Raine's voice is used as an instrument on this album. His voice perfectly suits the music and takes the album to a whole new level.

2. Naveed

The throaty yells and passion takes this beyond a "grunge album." Most bands at this time were doing their best Pearl Jam impressions, and while you can hear some influence on the music (they still do their own thing though), Raine's voice separates them from the rest of the pack.

3. Spiritual Machines

The vocals on a few of the tracks aren't outstanding, but on tracks like In Repair, Are You Sad?, All My Friends, If You Believe, and The Wonderful Future, his voice is fucking amazing. Not much else to say beyond that lol.

4. Gravity

Tough decision putting it above Clumsy. While the music and lyrics are overall kind of generic, his voice is passionate. He doesn't go into the falsetto much, but he doesn't really need to on this. That's not to say I don't love his falsetto, but these tracks really don't call for it. His voice steals the show, as it really needs to half the time to make a song work.

5. Clumsy

Not saying I don't love his vocals on Clumsy. I do. This is the album that made me love OLP. Its just that this is the album he's probably the most nasally on, and it can get a little annoying. Automatic Flowers, Carnival, Clumsy, and Car Crash are all great vocal demonstrations.

6. Healthy

This is the first time Raine didn't have distinctive vocals. His voice isn't even bad on the album, it's just that there isn't much vocally going on to wow you. Like you said, A/L/S is vocally great, and I enjoy his vocals on some other songs, but he lost a part of himself on this. He has some passion on the lost tracks, Kiss on the Mouth and Better Than Here, though.

7. Burn Burn

This is the first time his vocals kinda bad. He doesn't even sound on key half the time and has a few tone deaf moments. He sounds bored and uninspired, and even manages to sound half asleep on the powerhouse, Monkey Brains. I dig the chorus of Escape Artist though, and the falsetto in the Paper Moon chorus is sick. His voice is really different but good on Refuge.

Some say it's a natural thing that's happened over time, but the Clumsy/SM tour proved that he can still belt it out. Hoping Album 8, whether it has falsetto or not, can bring back the passion in his voice.
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