Candlebox have always refused to be boxed into the grunge genre they were such a huge part of and which catapulted their career. Over the course of their eight albums and 30-plus-year career, the band have seen their ups and downs, forging their path in the fire and embers of a path they’ve made all their own.
Over the summer the band announced their eighth album would be titled The Long Goodbye and would be exactly that- a farewell- as they were calling it a career and would fade into the sunset. However, with a record like The Long Goodbye, it’s going to be hard to just fade away as it’s a record that has so many layers that it will live on and be loved long after the band is done.
“Punks” and “Ugly” are classic Candlebox and fit right in with the songs we all fell in love with in the beginning but the album is much deeper than that.
“What Do You Need” is jazzy, catchy and classy while “Elegante” is alt rock at its best- it’s just smooth and you can vibe out to it.
“I Should Be Happy” is all over the place and is an electric jazzy poppy roller coaster with a million different elements that there’s no shortage of listens before you run out of new things to find while “Nails on a Chalkboard” reminds you of walking into a smoky jazz club in the golden era of music and is hypnotizingly beautiful.
“Maze” is an acoustic masterpiece and is gorgeous but Candlebox speed it back up at the perfect time with “Cellphone Jesus”- a fun track that’s poppy and catchy as hell but also makes you think.
They close it out in emotional fashion with “Hourglass,” which is an excellent end- not just to the record- but to Candlebox’s recording career. With the lyrics of “The hourglass is breaking, the sands are pouring out. It’s right there for the taking, the clock is running out; You better grab it with your own two hands while you still have the chance cuz time don’t wait for no man.”
With The Long Goodbye, Candlebox prove yet again that they’re more than just a one trick pony and are one of the most artistically complex bands to come out of the Seattle grunge movement- in fact, they moved right out of it and evolved above it.
Rating: 9/10
-Reggie Edwards