Album News

crustine · Post by **crustine** » 7/12/2008, 11:22 am

came across this today
http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/musicnews/article.asp?id=1119

Our Lady Peace Working On New Album
By: Chad | Source: Our Lady Peace

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Friday, July 11, 2008
Our Lady Peace has recorded at least 16 or 17 songs for their new album and plan to get together for their next session at the end of July.

Since February 2007, the band has been working on their first studio album since their 2005 release Healthy in Paranoid Times. According to frontman Raine Maida, the new album is "huge" and will be a "proper rock album again"—featuring a return to the raw originality of the band's first album Naveed, though a "little more mature".

With Arnold Lanni having produced the band's first four studio albums, and Bob Rock having produced their last two offerings, vocalist Raine Maida is reportedly the sole producer of their seventh release, noting how he's excited to "engineer and produce and not have anybody intrude on sessions".

On July 5 guitarist Steve Mazur posted on the band's MySpace blog, noting: "Many songs are finished, we're just writing more now 'cause we're having a good time doing it. So we figure why not just keep going until we feel that we're out of juice". According to Mazur, the album title and artwork are also in discussion.

A song from the album—titled "Dreamland"—was performed at the 2008 Atlantic Superstore Festival of Lights in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on June 29.

Dread · Post by **Dread** » 7/13/2008, 11:14 am

I wonder what the likelihood of them getting it out this year will be? Right now, if they actually finish it in July, we could be looking at an October/November release, I guess. But we all know how many bands say they're almost done and then three months pass and they're still working on songs. Which is fine if it means the music benefits from it. It's just the second half of 2008 is looking like slim pickings for me musically. Too many artists are taking way longer than they ever used to, and it sucks.

Illusion · Post by **Illusion** » 7/13/2008, 1:05 pm

I sure hope OLP isn't repeating what they did with HIPT and spending three years making 40 songs that aren't even that great. It would be so much better if they just got it out the door as quickly as possible. Evidence has definitely shown that OLP makes better stuff when they get it done quickkly.

btw, I'm sorta loosing faith that this album is a return to Naveed...I mean, Dreamland sounded a lot more like Raine's solo effort then anything in my opinion.

myownsatellite · Post by **myownsatellite** » 7/13/2008, 1:14 pm

Well, think about it, Illusion - Dreamland is one song off of an album. If I've learned anything from their inclusion of Life on Spiritual Machines, it's that you can have one weird random song that doesn't fit with any of the other songs, and the rest of the album can still be amazing.

So how about we chill out on the pre-disappointment until the album comes out, eh?

Illusion · Post by **Illusion** » 7/13/2008, 1:23 pm

myownsatellite wrote:Well, think about it, Illusion - Dreamland is one song off of an album. If I've learned anything from their inclusion of Life on Spiritual Machines, it's that you can have one weird random song that doesn't fit with any of the other songs, and the rest of the album can still be amazing.

So how about we chill out on the pre-disappointment until the album comes out, eh?

haha, sry I'll try to keep things a little more upbeat

But yea, you're right. It was before I was an OLP fan, but you guys must've been getting pretty worried after Summersault '00 and OLP were performing Life all over the place and probably had you guys (and girls) thinking that it was going to be the sound of the new album.

I also remember somebody on here saying that Dreamland was recorded sometime back in '07 before OLP decided to do the whole "return to Naveed" thing, so maybe there's no reason to be worried at all then

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 7/13/2008, 3:21 pm

<3 Life <3

myownsatellite · Post by **myownsatellite** » 7/13/2008, 9:09 pm

</3 Life </3

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 7/13/2008, 10:33 pm

fail.

Dread · Post by **Dread** » 7/13/2008, 11:57 pm

If you hate "Life," then you hate life.

Heavy Alibi · Post by **Heavy Alibi** » 7/14/2008, 1:21 am

Illusion wrote:But yea, you're right. It was before I was an OLP fan, but you guys must've been getting pretty worried after Summersault '00 and OLP were performing Life all over the place and probably had you guys (and girls) thinking that it was going to be the sound of the new album.

I also remember somebody on here saying that Dreamland was recorded sometime back in '07 before OLP decided to do the whole "return to Naveed" thing, so maybe there's no reason to be worried at all then <crosses>

Yeah, that was me that wrote that about the 2007 recording sessions. I'm still not so sure that this album will really be a throwback to Naveed though, because how often do you really see that with a band? Usually their past influences (in this case Gravity & HIPT) stay with them, they can't just erase them.

Not to mention, Steve Mazur wasn't even with the band before they changed their style, so he'd have influence in that way. We'll just have to wait and see, and honestly, I'm gonna love whatever music they give out, and "Dreamland" was a great song.

MindsOnLoan · Post by **MindsOnLoan** » 7/14/2008, 1:07 pm

Mazur's one of the main reasons I'm worried about the album. I'm hoping that Bob Rock was the reason that Steve hasn't been that impressive, but I guess we'll find out in a few months...

Driven · Post by **Driven** » 7/14/2008, 1:23 pm

I actually quite like Dreamland. I thought HIPT was a decent album, and had a lot of potential... I just don't like what Bob Rock did to it. But stuff like WTSOYF and Love & Trust are among some of the best stuff OLP has done, IMO.

But the one thing about this album is that it will certainly be a complete OLP album, and completely their sound, whatever that may be. There's no excuses with this album. It IS OLP, we'll just see if they've gone in the right direction.

Lando · Post by **Lando** » 7/14/2008, 3:41 pm

Driven wrote:. But stuff like WTSOYF and Love & Trust are among some of the best stuff OLP has done, IMO.
.

yeah best stuff done on that album maybe, compared to their entire catalogue of songs... I wouldn't put it anywhere near the top.

neoncrossing · Post by **neoncrossing** » 7/14/2008, 4:47 pm

i really like dreamland...and as driven said, this is going to be all OLP...their music as they intended for it to sound...i for one am excited about that

Heavy Alibi · Post by **Heavy Alibi** » 7/14/2008, 5:03 pm

While we're on the topic of OLP's new album, let's go over some of what Raine has said about the album's style in recent intervies (it doesn't seem there have been interviews with any other bands).

He said, quote "it feels like Naveed again, we're all in the studio and no one is bothering us... we have that organic feel about music again, it's very exciting".

He then followed up with, "and the music, it sounds much closer to Naveed, it's a proper rock album again". What I wonder about is his use of "again". By "again" does he mean that solely HIPT wasn't a "proper" rock album, or that both HIPT and Gravity weren't?. Hard to say.

And, when asked directly about the fact that the records Naveed through Spiritual Machines were much more metaphorical, and that the last two were more of a direct lyric-approach, Maida said "yeah, I listen to those old records, and I'm more apt to making rock music like that...hide behind the lyrics... I think it was Bob who pushed me in the new direction...I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that actually".

So all of this really suggests that Raine misses their old music. But at the PEI concert, he didn't seem to have his old falsetto back. And their new song is kinda Gravity-ish, but has "sort-of" metaphorical lyrics, like "dreamland, the kids are alright".

Guessing the outcome of this album is really difficult. I suppose that's a good thing—it makes me all that more excited

Driven · Post by **Driven** » 7/14/2008, 5:31 pm

I don't think you're going to hear Raine's raw voice or falsetto again, for the most part. I think much of that is just because he's simply grown up... he doesn't have all of that angst that he had before. I think you see this a lot as bands mature.

This album is not going to sound like their earliest work for that reason. They've moved on. They might have the same song writing process that they did back then, but they were young back then and have grown up. They've also been a successful band, and I think every great band would like to move on from stuff they've done in the past, to a new sound.

Then again, a band like Pearl Jam did the exact opposite of that with their last record, and it worked out perfectly.

Codes · Post by **Codes** » 7/14/2008, 8:02 pm

See my problem is that the last 2 cd's lack a really guitar driven feel, no solos, no real memorable riffs, I think Steve is a really good guitar player, and its about time he shows it.

Id really like to see the older demos released in some form as studio versions

Our time is fading
Not Afraid (Not a shity version)
Talk is cheap
Vampires
ect.ect.ect

Some of these songs are great, I can't believe they haven't released them on studio albums.

crustine · Post by **crustine** » 7/15/2008, 8:13 am

What i love about music is it is entirely subjective, each of us will be drawn to something different. I am not sure that Raines lack of falsettos comes from loosing angst, if anything I think he is more tortured than he was before (look at his humanitarian work and outspoken anti political views). The lack of falsettos is in part to growing older and perhaps not having the capacity to do that to his voice. I think over the years he has learned to sing from a different place and often that changes the falsettos.

My interpretation of the closer to Naveed feel is that the band is once again working on their own with no external influences. A throw back to the garage band of yore, difference here is the ownership of the studio. The finished material may not actually be close to Naveed, and in some ways I would be a tad disappointed if it were as that is not moving forward. But music rising out of a process that is the same as Naveed such that it feels truer to themselves, something that was lost by TPTB dictating market suitable music.
Regardless of the final product I am grateful that OLP has been able to find their collective creative 'juices' again, it is a good sign for longevity.

neoncrossing · Post by **neoncrossing** » 7/15/2008, 9:11 am

i dont think they will ever have an album that sounds like another of their albums...every album sounds very different from the others...i think raine is referring to the process of naveed, rather than the sound...it appears they are a 4 piece now again, which means no influence of the 5th man in the studio like jamie and joel...also, duncan and steve were not even a part of the band during naveed, so when your bassist and lead guitarist are different people, then the sound will obviously be different... the sound of the new record will be new and different just like all other OLP albums...i personally love all of their albums and will never buy in to or understand the constat pre and post SM/Turner debates

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 7/15/2008, 9:42 am

I shall remain dis-illusioned with their music until I download and listen to their new material.