Elsewhere, Not The Only One folds about three and a half songs into one, and each constituent part is killer. There’s the driving acoustic motif, the melodic rock bit, the nu-metal lurch, and the rap that pushes it into a faster, punk-tinged climax. The whole is even better than the sum of its parts, and it’s followed by the tense rap-rock of the title-track, which boasts one of the best grooves they’ve ever come up with.
If this was an EP that ended there it would be a little slab of perfection, but unfortunately there’s a distinct mid-album lag. The airy Elevate, the polished Come Around and the wistful Feel Like Home are all perfectly adequate songs when heard individually, but served up consecutively things start to feel distinctly lightweight. The laid-back hip-hop of Problems does nothing to re-energise proceedings, although Jacoby’s continued willingness to open up in his lyrics is always admirable. I Suffer Well is a pure punk lash of rage, while Maniac juxtaposes a lyrical downward spiral with an upbeat musical sweep and even a hint of the Pixies. It’s a welcome late surge, but not enough to shake off the mid-movement torpor.
Papa Roach’s 10th album, then, is neither the unexpected triumph or dated nu-metal fail you might expect. There’s plenty of killer, but it’s held back by an equal amount of filler. The live shows have got some new classics in waiting, but the album as a whole doesn’t quite meet past heights.
Verdict: KKK
Words: Paul Travers