Yours Truly - Sublime With Rome

Hello, and welcome to my blog Modern Classics. Every few weeks I will have an update covering a new album by an classic rock band. The purpose of this blog is to not rank or judge the music, but rather to report on what elements do and do not come together well. There is no five star rating system here, simply a description of the words and music of these Modern Classics.

This week's topic will be the album Yours Truly by Sublime with Rome. First some background is necessary to understand where this particular band is coming from: Sublime was established in Long Beach, California in 1988 who specialized in pioneering their own brand of punk rock infused reggae/ska music. Their first album 40 Oz. to Freedom was released in 1992 under an independent label, followed by a release of the experimental Robbin' the Hood in 1994. The bands first major label album was the eponymous Sublime which received major acclaim and success in 1996. However between completing the album and it's release, lead singer, guitar player, and songwriter Bradley Nowell passed away. Losing such an important member of the band could have easily been the end of Sublime, and for thirteen years it was. However the band reformed with their new lead singer, Rome Ramirez, in 2009 and on July 12th, 2011 they released Yours Truly.

Many people compare the new album to the Original Sublime's material, but seeing that it has been 15 years and that Rome Ramirez is a different artist than Bradley Nowell, this album stands on it's own as a Modern Classic.
The album opens with it's first single titled "Panic", a rapid blistering punk fueled anthem. However as the verse flies by, the song reaches a catchy and soothing chorus followed by a saxophone lick leading back to the next verse. Rome's vocals prove very effective, while very different from that of Bradley Nowell. Then Rome has the opportunity to flash his skills as guitar player in a melodic, energetic, and speedy solo.
The album then slows down with the very tropical "Only", beginning with a mellow guitar intro reminiscent of a sunset on a beach out in the pacific. The vocals come in and Rome croons his way into the hearts of his listeners. This song in particular allows the singer to display his range and ability to tug at the heartstrings. The drumming on this track is also very effective in mellowing out the tune.
The third track "Lover's Rock" begins with simple guitar and group vocals sing a catchy melody. Then the drums and synthesizer come in to lead Rome's vocals into the verse. This song picks up a little energy from the last tune, but sacrifices some melody of the vocals in the verse. All the while the lyrics reminisce about love gone by. Although the song is catchy, fans of traditional rock and ska/reggae may be less interested in the more modern electric sounds of this particular song.
The fourth song "Murdera" is an interesting song, serving as both an homage to classic reggae, all the while standing out with its rap influence. The verse is sung quickly referring back to the rap while the chorus is very much an attempt at a classic Ska sound. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the song is when it breaks down in the middle to Rome's voice over a slow bass line with a moody saxophone playing in the background. At this point the song begins to sound like a standards homage, which Rome delivers very effectively. The song winds up fading out to the slow, smooth, jazzy saxophone.
The fifth song song is another fast and upbeat punk rocker titled "My World". This song fades into quick upstruming on a clean electric guitar followed by lightening fast vocals, a manic verse that energizes it's listeners. This verse flows into the equally quick chorus of pounding distorted electric guitar and Rome's ability to hook the audience in with a hummable melody. Like most punk, this song comes to an abrupt stop.
The next track "Paper Cuts" is possibly the weakest track on the entire album, simply because Rome was attempting to capture the aggression that was infused in the words and music of the late Bradley Nowell. Rome's voice could compete with any mainstream artist today, but it does not work as well with the offbeat and downright angry style of the original Sublime. This is the main separation point between the two different generations of Sublime, but neither singer should be judged against one another. This song was aimed at hardcore original Sublime fans, but it is fortunate that the other songs on the album tend to stay within the boundaries of Rome's voice.
The seventh track is a great  song titled, and my personal favorite, "PCH [Pacific Coast Highway]". This is the first tune on the album to feature the acoustic guitar, and does so very effectively. The simple chord progression leads into a groovy drum track and behind solid vocals trading off with a tasty little guitar lick. The song keeps a strong melody through verse and choruses, until it reaches a bridge of Rome's singing over a short but sweet electric guitar solo. The solo breaks down into Rome's voice alone, and then goes back to the simple acoustic guitar chords of the intro. This song is the type of song that belongs on the radio in the middle of summer, driving along in a car full of friends with no destination in sight. The only flaw to this song is that it ever comes to an end.
The eighth track, "Same Old Situation" continues with the acoustic guitar sound, layered over an electric guitar strumming in the background as well. The tone of this song is a little more serious than the last, but still has a relaxing melody and beautiful chord progression. The lyrics describe a relationship on the brink of destruction, but the music is not too dark leaving the listeners with a hopeful feeling inside. The middle of the song kicks up with a bridge of electric guitar chords and phenomenal vocals breaking the song back down to a simple acoustic guitar strumming bringing the song back to the beginning and starting all over again.
The ninth song is "Take It Or Leave It" the second single off the album. This song introduces itself with a simple but catchy acoustic guitar lick, leading into electric guitar strumming and melodic vocals. From beginning to end this is one of those songs where anyone can get a feel for the vocals and start to sing along, not just the incredibly catchy chorus. Towards the end of the song it breaks down to a heartwarming bridge, Rome gets to flash just how talented he is behind the microphone reaching deep into his soul and pulling out some great melodies.
The tenth track "You Better Listen" is a solid track reaching the end of the album, and reaches into some Hispanic influences. This song adds some female background vocals to the chorus which definitely spices up the flavor of this song. The most impressive part of this track is when Rome enters his guitar solo while singing and matching the tone of his vocals to that of his guitar. The guitar part is somewhere between Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix.
The next song is "Spun" a track which is similar to "PCH" in its composition of acoustic guitar chords over smooth relaxing vocals. The drums shuffle their way through the verses and into the choruses of electric guitar and Rome's echoing vocals. As the song progresses it escalates in its musical and vocals, and as a result probably should have been the final track on the album. It would have left the reader feeling complete and wrapped up.
The last track "Can You Feel It" is another song with Hispanic guitar influence, and also includes the sounds of the synthesizer as heard in "Lover's Rock", but the most important part of the song comes towards the middle when Wiz Khalifa makes his guest appearance. At first Khalifa is taking over the vocals of Rome, but then he begins rapping his own verse as the music slowly dissolves to become more and more artificial. Eventually, Rome comes back for another verse and chorus, but there isn't too many memorable elements to this final song. The main purpose of the song was to appeal to a wider demographic of listeners, which does not ruin the whole album, but in hindsight it was an unnecessary addition to an otherwise flawless collection of paramount tunes. The reincarnation of Sublime is much different, but is a great band in it's own right, working with the distinct style of Rome Ramirez's vocals to deliver an excellent piece of work.