Collective Soul – Vibrating (Blue Vinyl) — — Album Review

Collective Soul – Vibrating (Blue Vinyl)

Weekly Review:

It’s been more than a quarter-century since Collective Soul placed the hits “Shine” and “December” in
regular rotation on the radio. The Atlanta-based quintet built around brothers Ed and Dean Rolland and
bass player Will Turpin have kept busy since then, releasing a single with Elton John at the turn of the
century and gaining prominent placement on American Idol and in the Twilight film. Last summer, the
band released its 11th studio album, Vibrating.
Lead singer and songwriter Ed Rolland shows he still has the ability to write a sticky chorus on songs
“Reason” and “A Conversation With.” Many of the ten tracks are built around hard guitar riffs that could
inspire a mosh pit in concert, but have been carefully buffed and polished in the studio. Placed together,
these harder-edged verses with pop-sweet choruses make for a disjointed listen. Singer Ed Rolland
doesn’t have great range, but his voice is oddly comforting and mostly manages to bridge the diverse
styles within a song.
Collective Soul aren’t reinventing the wheel. As they enter their fourth decade in the music business, the
band clearly know what works for them. They wisely play to their strengths on Vibrating. The results will
please their loyal fanbase and provide the parents who grew up listening to Collective Soul a safe
listening experience with their kids, passing the band on to another generation. -Joel Francis