[rating=5.00]
311 has spent months promoting its first proper album since 2009, rallying the base with email blasts, even setting a March 11th release date to coincide with the concert tradition known as 311 Day.
The first event happened in 2000, in pre-Katrina New Orleans, and has since returned every two years, with few exceptions. The shows boast a setlist spanning 60-plus songs, can run as long as five hours, and always feature a stunning drum solo involving all five band members.
Today, some 25 years after forming, 311 seems to value brand over band. The timing of Stereolithic, out today on 311 Records, was a calculated marketing move from the inside. Frontman Nick Hexum has lately made much of their recent independence from “corrupt” and “incompetent” record labels, while praising his group’s prevailing “eclectic-ness.” Such self-hype reflects the go-get-’em earnestness of veterans going it alone for the first time. You get the feeling the guys spitballed titles until they got one that could reveal a subliminal 3-1-1 on the cover art: STER3OL1TH1C. But while free from corporate constraints, this effort plays like a haphazard collection of outtakes.
That’s why Stereolithic suffers: nothing here suggests a break from those record-contract shackles. Much of the album is dull familiarity, a retread rife with expected song structures, indulgent effects, and silly studio chatter. Take the recycled formula of “The Great Divide”: tough guitar intro/Hexum rap/harmonizing chorus/Martinez rap/repeat. Worse, the song contains this line: “We’re breaking away from the past/reaching a new plane at last.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine may have been the first rock bands to incorporate rap, but 311’s Hexum and S.A. Martinez were the first co-frontmen to share singing and rapping duties. Starting with their 1993 debut, Music, the pair traded rhymes and verses that advocated unity and smoking weed. While the Chilis fixated on sex and Rage skewered social injustice, 311 floated somewhere in between. Since then, their riff-driven funk-metal and reggae-pop flair has never strayed far from the blueprint. One exception: Transistor, from 1997, was a 21-song behemoth, a masterpiece that explored themes like evolution and reincarnation, embraced psychedelia, and even contained a recording of outer space. It was 311’s first album to break Billboard’s top ten, and the first of seven straight releases to claim that territory. Sales haven’t stopped, but that doesn’t mean eclecticism has kept up.
Stereolithic offers few redeeming songs: “Simple True” and the closer, “Tranquility,” are sweet standouts that shatter the monotony, and the sudden tempo turns and style swings of “Showdown” capture the kind of momentum 311 once delivered on entire albums. Producer Scotch Ralston’s return from a 15-year absence yields little sign of his fingerprints here. The ballads “Friday Afternoon” and “Sand Dollars” sound like castaways searching for radio rescue, and the studio gimmickry reaches new heights on “Existential Hero,” when the group samples itself by distorting a snippet from one of its oldest songs.
311 Day celebrates staying true to the fans, but what’s missing from Stereolithic is soul. Few of 311’s peers can match their instrumental ability and stamina onstage. But this latest studio work is less than the sum of its parts. The brand, it appears, is on a mission to beat the band.
20 Responses
This negative heavy review is pretty narrow minded. THIS ALBUM IS GREAT and, although their may be some truths to the review (depending on what you listen for), you’re simply comparing a band to other bands and past albums as if time and outside influences aren’t factors that affect the outcome of an album. The marketing for this album was heavy, but I’d interpret that as a band adapting to modern technologies like social media and utilizing what’s in front of them to the best of their abilities. Stereolithic has some great hooks, both technical and simple. No doubt you can tell it’s 311 – that’s a good thing.
Ive been a fan since 1990 and 311 nailed it early in the career with this lyric “You’ve got to trust your instinct And let go of regret You’ve got to bet on yourself now star ‘Cause that’s your best bet Watch me now with a wicked and wild and I said We come with the funky style that gets us known for the show And we’ll mix the hip hop reggae if we say it is so And fuck the naysayers cause they don’t mean a thing Cause this is what style we bring”
The more i listen to it the better Stereolithic gets. Great freaking album, love it and 311….forever
Dude I am 100% with you 311 is sick and this album so f the naysayers. I like that quote from all mixed up. And the radio music sucks balls!!!!
You are absolutely right, Joe.
Patrick states the lyric ‘We’re breaking away from the past/reaching a new plane at last’ like they are talking about song structure and sound? No.
I’m not sure this reviewer is qualified to review a 311 album because he cannot seem to grasp 311’s core concepts. He also impressively fails to see that these concepts are found throughout this song as well as THE ENTIRE ALBUM.
Don’t get me wrong, the structure is very similar to past albums. But could you not see those lyrics in the context of the song or the album or 311? I read this review before hearing ‘The Great Divide’ and was kind of bummed because you make that song and the lyrics specifically sound reeaaaaally cheesy, but after a listen it has become one of my favorites. It’s a great album!
^
Told my brother this album was like a less creative but more proficient Transistor/Soundsystem. There are some great tracks on here but its really all been done before. Now don’t get me wrong, they are making music for the fans and you can count me in that group, I will have this cd in my player for months but this is not new territory, it really is the same old same old. Specifically though that tracks 4 (Revelation of the Year), 6 (The Great Divide), 11 (First Dimension) and 13 (Existential Hero) were very predictable tracks and should have been left out for a tighter record, just my opinion. So all that being said, the remaining 10 tracks are fun and I cant wait to rock out this summer to them with the car windows down. I to dislike the studio chatter, felt forced. I really wished they had grabbed some funky sounds and rode them out the whole song, specifically the start of Made in the Shade had me excited for an experimental track but it really just became a tried and true 311 track. Oh well, if nothing else I know 311 will always provide me with a great summer soundtrack and who can argue with that.
Thanks Patrick for your thoughts…I agree with the previous comment that this is narrow minded….but, as the criticism measures would be expected, since it’s coming from a critic who poo poos “the herd” of soulless crap, the hysteria of America. I think you need to stick to ranking the “artists” that don’t even write their own tunes but simply take vocal lessons to match the pitch of the notes their song writers dictate. One thing’s for sure, 311 writes all their own music in this unique to them album, and as they’ve always shown, they’re “friendly to the radio, but all that shit is corn”…. As for this ranking and review from Patrick, my rebuttal is it’s unqualified. Deep down Mr. Flanary is obsessed with the awesome energy of the live 311 shows, but his boss won’t let him write that 🙂
While 311’s live performances are unmatched, I think this review is spot-on regarding this album. 311 fans are very protective of their favorite band. I used to be a hardcore fan, I know how it is. This album is much, much better than the last 3, but it offers nothing new. If you like that, then great, you will love this album. Their recent string of bad albums doesn’t change the way I feel about 311, they will always hold a special place in my heart. Don’t hate because someone hold a different opinion than you.
This album is the first 311 that I have been able to really get into in a while. It reminds me of Evolver, Transistor at times, the Blue album, and a bit of Soundsystem. I really enjoy most of the songs, but there are a couple that I don’t care for but that is any album. I am kind of over the beach songs if you know what I mean. I told my wife that I was happy that they could still put together great music because the past couple of albums really had me wondering.
The only real criticism that I have of the album is that is somewhat disjointed, kind of all over the place. With that being said, in a weird way that is also why I like it. There are songs that remind me of albums through the late 90’s-mid 2000’s. I am not a professional reviewer, but I think that 311 fans will understand where I am coming from……maybe!
Friday Afternoon is a ballad? Now how can I take a review seriously when a comment like that leads me to believe the critic didn’t even listen to that particular song? Or listen to any of the other songs more than once?
In my opinion, this is their best work in 15 years and there are new twists and turns only long-time fans can likely appreciate.
Music is clearly subjective but I couldn’t disagree more with most of this one – even the most critical of fans that have been disappointed with their output from the past decade have been pretty effusive in their praise.
It bums me out that all the reviews I’ve read of Stereolithic (this one clearly no exception) perceives this work to be average at best. When I first heard the album, I was blown away, I thought to myself that it’d be impossible not to think this was brilliant work. That being said, I’ve been infatuated with this band since grade-school, and it makes me wonder, what type of person does it take to find the genius in this work? 311 clearly is not hurting for an audience or support, and I truly think and hope they do would care less about these luke-warm reviews of their work. Personally I find it catchy enough to be addicting, and the “you can do it” lyrics to be motivating and encouraging . The reviewer is right about one thing, Transistor is a masterpiece….I feel Stereolithic could be too.
Critics are coming into it from an outsider, one album at a time, needs to be fresh perspective…. they are not bringing in the “relationship” side where fans have built up the relationship over the years and are much more equipped to “get it” with their new music. The story line from a critics perspective is much, much, much shallower than the dedicated fan would know. Therefore, take this review and all reviews with a grain of salt!
Even bands like the Muse and Macklemore with Ryan Lewis get bad critical reception, despite their loyal following and creative song writing. Critics are looking for something different and new, not just different and new for the band, but different and new for all music. It helps the critic feel that they themselves are relevant; similar to any entrepreneur seeking to invent a new product for an existing market.
Umm…
This album is incredible. Please just stick to reviewing the lame, not-requiring-talent reviewing of the Grammys where the likes of Nicki Minaj are awarded recognition. You clearly couldn’t recognize real music (much less a good album) if it slapped you in the face.
the review of this album is perfect. like the other commenter said, bands have fans and 311 have some of the most loyal ones who are going to be extremely protective of the group no matter what. theres no doubt in my mind that a percentage of this bands fanbase is in love with a new record of theirs before they ever even hear it. thats nothing against those fans. fans are made of people. and certain types of people are like that no matter if we’re talking about their favorite sports team, their favorite music artist, the new apple iphone, or a brand of jeans. theyre on the team no matter what.
others are more subject to objectivity. like me. ive heard this album a lot now. i think its ok. if i gave it a grade, id probably give it a C+. the reviewer is correct, a lot of the songs are repeats of former songs, just swap out the music and lyrics for something different. formulaic. i will say its got to be more difficult to be original than in jimi hendrixs day. a lot of stuff has already been day.
tranquility shows the maturity of hexum and the possibilities that this band has to offer. the great divide is simply fun, like old times, and a few others have potential. the best part of 311 nowadays is an expert rhythm section of tim, pnut, and chad that dont get enough attention of reviewers that they should. chad reaches bonham territory on five of everything. i think the opening track is flat out garbage that should have never made it. it cluncks it way forward in a very common 311 way at the prechorous “the moms and pops, have all closed shops” is slow, and drags the song down , a problem many 311 songs of the past 10 years suffer from. theres a lot of teases here of what could be, i do think that its possible that their best album hasnt been written yet.
I’m listening to it right now, and It’s nice!!!
That review isn’t fair, especially because he can’t make music at all…
311 fucking rocks!!!!!
toke it and kick back… great album.
agreed, musics what i need to keep my sanity!!!! f the naysayers
Clearly this is a one sided review .Someone needs to Re-review .I didnt by a 311 album to hear some new band that just came up with a new style! I bought to hear 311 and thats exactly what I got. Sure there are a few cheesy lyrics but really listen to half the songs on the charts 90% of the say stupid crap . As far as core 311 style there back ! Suck it !
This album is AMAZING! I’ve been listening to it nonstop, and truly believe it is a masterpiece.
This review, however, is one of the worst reviews I’ve ever read. This guy (Patrick Flanary) should change his line of work, seriously. It seems as if he is not familiar with 311’s style of music, based on his biased remarks.
STER3OL1TH1C is a MUST-HAVE album, plain and simple.
Stereolithic is an AMAZING album and the reviewer doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You have to give these albums 10-20 listens before reviewing. Digest it and let it simmer. Every single song is good and this is their best album in at least 10 years.
I love Friday Afternoon.
I love The Great Divide. The ending to this song is amazing, and the beginning has good confidence.
Simple True is exceptional.
Existential Hero is one that I was unsure about at first, but I enjoy the end that goes “it all makes sense.”
Good job by 311 and not the best job by the reviewer.
Thank you.
Justin
I’m just wondering how many of you still think this is a masterpiece?