5.6
The meaning of "Breaking the Model" is paradoxical when used to describe the music on the still accurate title for the music it accommodates. Since the past four years once their debut Race You to the Bottom was released New Medicine have taken in new influences which in turn expands the space of some of the songs and given them a new direction. Yet, at the same time they have really not grown at all in the song writing department, even going as far to blatantly rip off one of their old songs, ‘American Wasted’ with the new ‘World Class Fuck Up.’ The later which seems like a bigger and badder version, as suggested by the names of the two.
The album opens with an atmospheric intro on the song Breaking the Model and then we’re thrown back into a more polished and crisp version of essentially what we were given on their first record. But this time there’s some subtle nuances that imply a change in sound. whether it be the brief pre-chorus wobble bass or the trappy sounding high hats. The first time we are really shown a change of sound is on Desire Into Gold with one the biggest electronic influences on this album complete with 808s and synths.
It’s interesting to see such a maturity and foreword thinking from a band that I had previously just lumped into the category of generic post-grunge music. Songs like One Too Many start off with a very distinctive electronic backing then switch over to a catchy hard rock explosion, which is a very common theme on this album - arguably too common. For the most part the unlikely blend does work but the major fall back is the repetitiveness of this album paired with the overly simplistic song writing.
