Album Review: Nickelback – No Fixed Address
3 min read
Music enthusiasts either love or hate Canadian rock supergroup Nickelback, last year in May readers of Rolling Stone magazine went as far as voting the group as the second worst band of the 90s, in contrast they were crowned the Rock Group of The Decade by Billboard; like them or not, they must be doing something right as they have sold millions of albums since their 1996 debut with Curb. Their most memorable track would have to be How You Remind Me, which topped rock/pop/mainstream charts internationally in 2001, the track was included on last year’s The Best of Nickelback Volume 1, as well as many of their other hits over the last decade or so. Nickelback have returned with some new material, their first since Hear and Now in 2011, so get ready for No Fixed Address, the group’s eighth studio album written and recorded home and abroad.
From the first second of Million Mile An Hour you feel fully involved, Nickelback won’t be holding back on their heavier roots and they’ve made this clear with this track, Chad Kroeger’s earthy belt sets the tone and the guitars are intense. Edge Of A Revolution led the album as its first single, it’s not a political song so to speak, it voices the concerns of the public at large in the form of a hard rock format; the anthemic What Are You Waiting For? follows as the next track and the album’s second single, it goes down the pop/rock road Nickelback recently had a knack for on their more recent albums.A funky bass line, an addictive melody and the overall vibe of She Keeps Me Up keeps you listening, it’s not long before you realise you’re nodding your head to the beat; it’s not long though before the sound becomes heavier again, Make Me Believe Again has an atmosphere best described as full and exciting.
The softer Satellite has that cliche ‘dance around this room like tonight’s our only night’ lyric, it’s lighter dynamic keeps you interested. Get ‘Em Up is on the heavier side, but the group still manage to throw in a memorable hook, a skill they’re pro at. The powerful The Hammer’s Coming Down subtly mixes a dash of pop within its rock atmosphere, the beat and sound of its chorus simply lifts the track into amazing territory; Miss You is not so subtle about adding the pop, but Nickelback’s mainstream sound is just as refreshing as their heavier stuff. Rapper Flo Rida lends a hand with the snappy Got Me Runnin’ Round, its minimal pre-chorus keeps you waiting in suspense for the catchy chorus, Flo’s contribution was a little short lived but his approach was right on par. Lastly, Sister Sin brings the album to a catchy and rock steady end, much like the overall vibe of this record.
There is rarely a second spent thinking “Why the hell am I listening to this?” whilst giving No Fixed Address a deserving spin through your stereo, it has this aura that pulls you in for the ride, and there’s no turning back. Its heavy rock theme just oozes with attitude, rawness and a never ending energy; you can hear fragments of classic Nickelback amidst the atmospheric and modern Nickelback, this album has the perfect mix of the pair. Sure to be a hit with die hard fans and potential newbies, No Fixed Address showcases a group with the experience and ability to carry on their songwriting legacy and blow us all away once again.
