Living End, The - The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating (Album)
» Fat As Butter 2011 First Line Up Announcement - July 26, 2011
» Big Day Out 2012 - Sydney Showground, NSW - January 29, 2012
» Big Day Out 2012 - Gold Coast Parklands, QLD - January 22, 2012
» The Living End: More Than White Noise - July 30, 2008
» The Living End Roll on - September 6, 2006
» The Living End - Palace, The, Vic - September 22, 2006
In a musical climate such as the current one, a career like The Living End's is nothing short of impressive. Each album they have released since their debut has seen excellent commercial success and their tours usually sell out due to the fact that they are one of the best live acts this country has ever seen.
Returning with their sixth record ‘The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating,’ the rockabilly punks have embraced their mainstream appeal and crafted their songs accordingly. An understandable yet disappointing move as the rebellious tinge that made the band so unique is lacking. The biggest let down is the lyrical content, which is simply not as clever as the past efforts we have been offered by Chris Cheney. Whilst still singing about all things rebellious, the statements seem a little too easy.
Musically, the band are trying new things and experimenting with diverse tones to provide something a little different to the norm and in this area they succeed, steering the ship away from complacency. Opening track In The Morning kicks off with a fine energetic pace and plenty of fast soloing, leading into the quick shuffle of Heatwave. The power ballad For Another Day is placed a little too early on the track list and is probably the least enjoyable song on the record. A couple of stand-outs are Song For The Lonely and Ride The Wave Boy, as they sound quite unlike anything the band have done before using keyboards and interesting song structures to create some of the most exciting moments of the album. The songs are all extremely catchy, it is clear that the band have perfected the art of song writing for the masses with chorus lines begging to be sing-a-longs.
With each release The Living End have moved slowly towards a more mainstream audience and now it seems they have hit their peak with a record full of rock songs sculpted perfectly for radio and devoid of the elements that made us love and identify with the band in the first place. It is clear that the talent is still there, as it always has been, however the risk and originality present in the older tunes is nowhere to be found.
