The Goo Goo Dolls - Boxes

The Goo Goo Dolls
Boxes
2016
Spotify

Three years ago The Goo Goo Dolls release Magnetic which was lambasted almost universally for being to commercial and lacking any kind of teeth or emotion. The Goo Goo Dolls were more a form of their previous selves, those musicians who would almost kill themselves to write a great song. Well don't call it a comeback, but Rzeznik and his crew have really done it with Boxes. When the first chorus of "Over and Over" kicks in you are hooked. The upswing only continues into "Soul in the Machine" with another powerful and incredibly poignant sound. The Goo Goo Dolls have always been comfortable with the anthemic rock genre, but it is so easy for music with that sound to become formulaic and plain that to do it at a really high level is always impressive. There are a few songs on the album like "The Pin" that do find the band slipping a bit into a generic sound but those moments are far rarer than the ones that really soar. The title track 'Boxes" is just chalked full of heart, something The Goo Goo Dolls really are experts at, and just keeps climbing higher and higher as the song builds. "Reverse" uses some really modern elements yet still holds on to their classic sound and is one of those tracks that simply work, and work well.

What does not work however is when Rzeznik does not do the singing. I'm not sure what the plan was with "Free of Me" perhaps some band infighting, but the vocals on that track are real bad. Musically it is not terrible, but the vocals drag it into absolute obscurity. "Prayer in My Pocket" suffers the same vocal fate, and because the song is bigger may be even worse. That is the real curse The Goo Goo Dolls face, for every three or four really great songs they will put out a real, real bad one and drive people nuts. Boxes also suffers from seeming longer than it actually is. At only 41 minutes this is perfect in terms of length, but because some of the songs are so anthemic they do tend to linger on one movement or another for more time than you would like. The use of drum machines on songs like "Lucky One" is a really interesting choice and one that really pays off. This record does not feel like The Goo Goo Dolls are chasing something anymore. They are finally comfortable in their own skin and that makes it to the album. While there are a few missteps as a whole Bones is exactly what you are looking for from The Goo Goo Dolls. There is much more than nostalgia that will bring you to this album and while nothing will probably ever be able to touch the fire that was Iris, but Boxes is the closest the band has come in a very long time.

7.7 out of 10