Music

311

Soundsystem

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Capricorn

Original probably isn't the first word you think of to describe 311. But come on, does any other band have a sound that even comes close to their ganjafied funk-rap-rock? And somehow the Nebraska natives manage to keep it all together, infusing their songs with enough melody to bind all the heavy beats and distortion together. That said, their new album Soundsystem doesn't actually break any new ground. It's your trusty old 311, complete with echoing vocal harmonies, staccato snares and spurts of laid back, good-natured rap. There's little innovation beyond the already-extant originality of their sound. Even worse, you won't find a catchy single like "Down" or "All Mixed Up" anywhere. That's unfortunate, because songs in that vein were easily the band's strongest material. The closest approximations to radio-friendly material are "Flowing" and "Strong All Along," which have stronger melodies and choruses than the rest of the album. Meanwhile, "Come Original," the first single, is too repetitive to be enjoyable. Still, at least you know what you're getting: if you're into 311 now, you'll probably like their new effort. If you're not, well, stick with the radio standbys. B