Other songs that are worth bringing up would be tracks such as “Trip Hoppin’”, which does something similar to “Jaded”, but the execution is much better. The lyrics are incredibly generic, and the instrumentation isn’t anything to write home about, with the unnecessary use of violins to fill the sound out coming off as incredibly forced at best, and downright stupid at worst. Track three, “Jaded” is a definite combination of these two different styles, though it fails at both to an extent. The rest of the album follows a similar pattern to these two first songs, though they’re met with varying degrees of success. Overall, another fantastic song, and the best on the album by a landslide. However, the song as a whole is so well rounded out, that it’s already a near wall of sound when it wants to be, with the last instance of the chorus being a crescendo of all the elements and idea built up throughout the song, in a musical climax that is unrivaled within the album. The lead guitar work throughout the song rounds out the sound nicely, but it never quite gets as intense as it could have been. The heavily bitcrushed percussion, mixed with the very pronounced driving riff is is truly a sound to behold, and with the vocals in the mix as well, this song is truly something special, with the singing being equal parts controlled and suave, as well as incredibly chaotic and energetic. Or you could just walk down the street while listening to it, and feel like a badass. The drumming is quicker here, but the bpm is low enough that this song can be easily danced to. The whole song is brimming with raw, albeit strangely refined energy, and this song’s groove is undeniable.
The song takes on a poppier vibe to it, while still maintaining a sound similar enough to “Beyond Beautiful” that it’s clear that they’re meant to be on the same album. The second song on this album is the title track, “Just Push Play”, and it is an absolute masterpiece. Overall, first impressions of this album are excellent, and my expectations were high, as the song slowly faded out, and the second track faded in. However, when the song does bust out solos, they’re beyond audible, and are all performed excellently. Instead, they’re mixed subtly into the track, with the vocals taking center stage, as the guitars duel quietly with each other in the background. The production is excellent here as well, with the guitars having a thick, meaty sound to them, while not taking being overwhelming to the listener. The slow buildup into the song itself creates a very distinct atmosphere that permeates throughout the whole song, and serves to make it much more intriguing than it would otherwise be. The lyrics are pretty standard, but the vocals soar through the chorus on this song in a way that easily makes this one of the highlights of this album. This song is a very very well done combination of energy and emotion, that culminates in a song that is as fun as it is powerful. The opener, “Beyond Beautiful” gets everything right. Right out of the gate, this album starts off strong. So with all that being said, here is “Just Push Play” by Aerosmith. No comparisons will be drawn to previous or future works by this band, and instead, I’ll be reviewing this album as its own entity. Which from what I’ve heard, is probably a good thing because now I can talk about this album as if I lived in a vacuum. In any case, on both formats, this band is going to be blaring from radios throughout the summer, as it hits the road for a 60-date tour June 6.I’ve never heard any other Aerosmith album in my life, so going into this review, I have absolutely no frame of reference.
The obvious comparison is to 1998’s across-the-board chart-topper “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” There’s little here we haven’t heard many times in recent years from Aerosmith, right down to the swelling strings, generic escapist lyrics, and Tyler’s high-register vocal blasts. “Fly Away From Here” is the kind of inflated ballad these guys knock out in their sleep, but it seems a sure thing at top 40, where previous single “Jaded” was a quick hit. Studio effects and the occasional vinyl scratch don’t detract from a fun cut, evoking the late-’80s favorite “Rag Doll” it’s likely to soar at mainstream rock.
“Play” is a tried-and-true rocker, highlighted by Joe Perry’s gritty riffs and Steven Tyler’s trademark staccato phrasing. These two tracks from Aerosmith’s platinum Just Push Play epitomize the longstanding band’s sound at this stage of the game: old-school rock enlivened with modern production values on one hand and super-slick, chart-hogging power ballads on the other.
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