Copeland- You Are My Sunshine 2008

8/10

And so out of what seemed to be nowhere comes another Copeland album. Should we thank the heavens for this one? All signs were pointing towards an end for the band after the release of Eat, Sleep, Repeat, which I must admit is one of my favorite albums of all time. Its great to have a new album to occupy my craving for their music. Although the B-side album was rich in content, it had a few covers and lacked originality, which is what makes this new album feel so good. 

            You may recognize "Chin Up" from Dressed Up and In Line but the rest of the album is all new songs, and great ones at that. The album seems to have a theme of rebirth and restarting, which may explain some of the events preceding it, such as the departure of their bass player, as well as their label. As an overall view of the album the best description I can give is considering it a counterpart to Eat, Sleep, Repeat. While the music remains similar to that album in terms of instrumentation, the first impression I got from the album was Aaron's voice, which seems to once again have gotten higher towards complete falsetto. I suppose this type of singing unfortunately has made the band more of a mood music or an acquired taste, but I refuse to let that change my feelings towards their music which I have always found moving. 

            Another major factor that is prominent in this album is the use of lyrical repetition. Of course most Copeland songs have used it to some extent, throughout the album it seems to be a relatively large them. If you get used to my taste, you'll see that Copeland and similar artists will be ranking high scores in my reviews, but overall I think that this album is a step down from Eat, Sleep, Repeat. That being said, it still feels good to have some new material and I really shouldn't complain. If you are a fan of Copeland then I'm positive you'll dig this album. Perhaps I need some time for it to grow on me, but I miss that instant gratification of previous releases. 

            After In Motion, I was surprised to hear Eat, Sleep, Repeat, but obviously very thankful, considering how many times I've already mentioned it. But You Are My Sunshine fits right in line with where the musicianship seemed to be heading. Overall no surprises on this album, a great band makes a great album, give it a listen and you'll be sure to agree.