Another 'dose' of Collective Soul

Reviewed by SCOTT SWINDELLS
Collegian Staff Writer

Collective Soul sounds as rhythmic and emotional as ever on its hyper and fast-paced album Dosage, released on Tuesday.

With computer-sounding percussion, odd stop-and-go, guitar-crunching rhythms and funky grooves, Dosage is so tuned in to today's culture and pop-rock sound its first two singles, "Heavy" and "Run," guarantee the album is a hit-making machine.

Released simultaneously, these two songs show the diversity of the album. "Heavy" is laden with the speed-thrashing and hard-rocking guitar solos audiences have come to expect from Collective Soul songs like "Gel" and "Where the River Flows." But this time things sound more complicated. "Heavy" features a whiny, bending guitar note propelled by a fast, electronic-sounding rhythm track.

"Run" is raw emotion conveyed through the introspective Ed Roland lyrics and a tear-jerking string arrangement. It begins with acoustic guitar strumming but soon gives way to piano accompaniment and a dance beat of sorts.

The melodic hook of the chorus, "Have I got a long way to run/yeah, I run," makes it a sure-fire hit. The octave-jumping vocals and rising violin crescendo make this song one big build up for an electric guitar solo that sounds like it should be playing in a trailer for a movie like Varsity Blues or Can't Hardly Wait.

"Needs" would be a good candidate for the album's next single. It picks up where "World I Know" left off, proving this band is not finished with acoustic guitar and string ballads. And the solid vocal harmonies give this song an MTV feel similar to Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."

Other standout selections include the roots rock of "Slow," the techno-feel of "Generate" and the quickly morphing "No More, No Less." This song goes from funk bass and jazz guitar with whining guitar solos to a 311-like sound. At times, it morphs into a section of linked note-for-note guitar runs that smack of the Allman Brothers.

In an era when rap music seems to be taking over the music industry, Collective Soul's Dosage is the antidote, helping revive sing-along guitar rock.