Genre defying rock band
AXIOM have released their newest album,
Roots, but the critical reception is much colder than they would have liked. After becoming critical darlings with their debut album
Welcome to the Wasteland and its follow-up
Tales of a Wasteland Hero the band decided to work on an album that would as band member Mike Peck put it "would allow us to get back to our roots. This is going to be an introspective album for us, really letting us look into what inspires us and why."
The album was not as commercially successful as their previous efforts, both of which reached the top 10 in the US and UK, charting only as high as 112 in both regions.
The Album
TracklistingDisc 11. Mellowship Slinky in B Major (originally by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
2. Yesterday (originally by The Beatles)
3. Fell on Black Days (originally by Soundgarden)
4. Have Love, Will Travel (originally by The Black Keys)
5. 1979 (originally by Smashing Pumpkins)
6. Yer Blues (originally by The Beatles)
7. Cigarettes & Alcohol (originally by Oasis)
8. Good Times, Bad Times (originally by Led Zeppelin)
9. Peace of Mind (originally by Boston)
10. Faith (originally by George Michael)
Disc 21. Happiness is a Warm Gun (originally by the Beatles)
2. The Importance of Being Idle (originally by Oasis)
3. Keep Fishin' (originally by Weezer)
4. My Kind of Scene (originally by Powderfinger)
5. Dreaming of You (originally by The Coral)
6. Your Touch (originally by The Black Keys)
7. Seven Days in Sunny June (orignally by Jamiroquai)
8. Omission (orignally by John Frusciante)
9. Death Letter (originally by The White Stripes)
10. Rock With You (originally by Michael Jackson)
The Critics "There is so much music here, and it is hard to feel like they didn't just go into the studio with no idea what they wanted to play.
They just grabbed their iPods and pressed shuffle, the first 20 songs are the ones they recorded." -from Rolling Stone
"...the rigidity of it all is the biggest issue. They don't seem to have any real emotion or heart in most of the music. A few of the songs have that spark, that fire, that energy, but most seem like they are just going through the motions." -from Q
"Their extended blues jam and rendition of Yer Blues is just sublime. It is a shame that most of the other tracks don't have the same level of polish or energy." -from AllMusicOnline
"They fell into the common trap with covers; there is no reason to listen to these over the originals. While Yer Blues has become an energetic and frantic 10 minute blues jam the rest of the album is just imitations, nothing sets these apart or gives them a uniqueness they desperately need." -from Billboard
"For a band that has made its name by experimenting with music, genre confines, and sounds, perhaps their worst experiment was trying to do covers." -from New York Times
"Fail." -from The Chicago Tribune
"Let's hope that their creative energy is restored, we don't want another album like this." -from The Washington Post