The Used – Imaginary Enemy
Review by Annette Schaefer
If you ever wanted to fight the “man” or start a revolution, The Used have created the perfect soundtrack for your uprising. On Tuesday the band released their sixth full length album Imaginary Enemy. Not only will this latest release make you want to sing along to every song but it raises some important issues facing our world and you may find yourself wanting to start a riot of your own.
On this album, The Used take a more politically minded approach, more so than we’ve seen from them in the past. Imaginary Enemy sends out a call for awareness and change in a world where most would rather remain idle while injustice continues. This theme is especially evident on tracks like “Revolution,” “A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)” and “Generation Throwaway,” although, this theme seems to be the cornerstone of the album and the band rarely deviates from it.
Aside from the politically charged lyrics, the album also shows off some musical range that we all know The Used are capable of. From the high energy anthems to the endearing ballads, Imaginary Enemy still sounds like The Used we all know and love.
On this latest album the band show off their signature ability to balance catchiness and heaviness particularly on tracks like “Cry” and “El-Oh-Vee- Ee.” If you wanted a more experimental album from The Used, then you will probably be disappointed.
As a long time fan of The Used, I was impressed with Imaginary Enemy. Lyrically, the album shows maturity and integrity and, musically, it reminds me of The Used in their earlier days with a bit of 2014 twist. Personally, I think this an album that my generation should be listening to. Imaginary Enemy reminds us that freedom is something worth fighting for and oppression is worth fighting against and that our voices have a right to be heard.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: “Cry” and “Evolution”
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