Artist: 3 Doors Down
Album: The Better Life
Release Date: February 8, 2000
One of the best first impressions any band, let alone a rock band, can make is to come out in full strength. With The Better Life, 3 Doors Down did exactly that, and the result was the first big rock albums of the new decade, and a memorable start to a career for a band that played a key role in the rock genre for the entire length of the 2000s.
From the opening chords of modern rock staple “Kryptonite” 3 Doors Down hold nothing back. the heavy numbers like the teen-loner anthem “Loser” and “Life of My Own” rock hard and without mercy. Likewise, the acoustic balladry of “Be Like That” comes off as honest as you’d hope a song like that would be. From start to finish 3 Doors Down don’t strike a single note that rings false; the band knows exactly what they’re doing and they do it to near perfection. But at the same time, that perfection feels like an organic and visceral result, as opposed to the calculated rock n’ roll connect-the-dots that became the norm later in the decade thanks to folks like Nickelback and Three Days Grace. 3 Doors Down and The Better Life also earn points in my book for frontman Brad Arnold, who receives credit for being both lead singer and drummer on the album. Sadly, Arnold stuck to singing duties for their tour and future albums. Regardless, The Better Life stands out as a key moment in modern rock, and when it comes time to cull together the biggest tracks of the decade, expect a cut or two from The Better Life on it.
3 Doors Down – Kryptonite [iTunes] (YSI)
==TJ==
Filed under: Album A Day | Tagged: 2000s, 3 Doors Down, Album A Day
