Evanescence accomplished the impossible. In 2003 their debut single 'Bring Me To Life' was one of very few (if not, the only) gothic rock, albeit commercial, songs to not only reach number one in the UK music charts, but also keep a firm grip on the top for four weeks. Yes indeed, there was a time when David Guetta didn’t have his 'Little Bad Girl' or Pitbull hadn’t invaded us from Planet Pit. Front woman, founder and winner of most mesmerizing eyes in rock, Amy Lee, has seen band line-up changes to rival many. The most notable being when co-writer and guitarist Ben Moody upped and left not long after the release of debut album Fallen (which racked up an astounding 17 million + copies sold). And so 2011 sees a new line-up, a new lease of life and the release of new single 'What You Want'; the first from the new self-titled album coming in October.
As is usually the case, I find that the first listen of a new song doesn’t tell me if I’m going to like it or not. In fact, normally if I don’t like a song the first time, then I know I’m guaranteed to be obsessed about it after the next ten plays. As was the situation with 'What You Want', which didn’t leave a lasting impression on me to start with, but has grown to become a firm favourite this year. It’s the embodiment of what and who Evanescence are, which is at the core a rock band but with gothic, classical and pop influences sewn together to create something unique. It’s what I fell in love with. The track kicks off with a fist-pumping drum intro alongside Amy’s familiar strong and haunting vocals. “Do what you what you want, if you have a dream for better. Do what you what you want, till you don’t want it anymore (remember who you really are)” she slyly croons.
As the verse grows, the layers unfold and there’s electronic sparks underneath chunky, distorted guitar chords and urgent bass notes. Then we’re joined by an old friend of the group, the piano, which sprinkles some magic into the developing atmosphere of the bridge. The true star here is the brilliantly catchy chorus; something which comes as a natural gift to Evanescence. They always manage to create and weave captivating melodies that attach to your cranium like leeches. And it’s with the spell-binding chorus that the song and band comes to life; it’s fast, punchy, positive and extremely likeable. Nothing sums it up better then the visible enjoyment and confidence exuding from the band in the music video. “Hello, hello remember me? I’m everything you can’t control. Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe we can break through!” Amy chants at the adoring crowd while cymbals crash, riffs explode and hearts break.
The theme of striving for freedom is an obvious one but perfect for a come-back song like this. Plus there’s the added all too familiar story of a failing relationship but who are we kidding, this is Evanescence not Bob Dylan. And it’s exactly what the fans like; something relatable and somewhat rebellious. Amy has always managed to balance the moody and dark side of her lyrics with positive and motivational undertones, something that I particularly enjoy. Their image certainly has them stereotyped by some and unfairly so. Black clothing doesn’t equal black hearts people!
'What You Want' is probably one of the most danceable songs that the band has ever made. Perhaps as a way of reaching out to new fans, but also maybe just to show how much fun they’re having. As the song comes to an epic climax, the band make a “we’re invincible” gesture in the video by striding into the sea...It definitely leaves the impression that they’re more than excited to be back. For Evanescence fans it’s a brilliant return to form reminding us how good they are at what they do. For others who like equal amounts of head-banging and sing-a-long moments, then you may also enjoy this dramatic goth-pop morsel.
Source: altsounds.com
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