Four Albums Sharp: The Used's 'Artwork'

THE USED: ARTWORK.

SCORE: 85/100

Artwork follows after one of the most iconic three-album runs in the history of rock music, and The Used kept a crisp style that switches into a more modern era of the 2000's as they shifted into the 2010's, blending their old sound with something more unique for their discography; it feels like The Used, but it varies in sound just enough to make this album stand out. 

This album marked the end of the band's era at Reprise Records before they would sign to Hopeless for their fifth album, Vulnerable, and it symbolized a set of new horizons and changes for the band, leading them into a new direction after changing their sound into something even more catchy than ever before with their previous album. The writing for this album began shortly after their previous album was released, with the compositions of this album being in their early stages in 2008. 

Despite the time between starting the album and releasing it, this album was recorded in quite a hurry - with the band only being given three/four weeks to record and finalize the project. Their original plan was to work with Rivers Cuomo, the frontman of Weezer - but they ended up scrapping these plans and working with Matt Squire for the production of the album, who helped shape the sound of the LP. 

Squire and The Used made a great team, with Squire working with bands like Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low, Cute Is What We Aim For, and 3OH!3 in the mid-to-late 2000's. The Used made themselves another iconic addition to Squire's production repertoire, and this album is another incredible piece in the band's discography that deserves much more attention than what it winds up getting.

Artwork is a unique case in the band's discography, with the songs on this album all transitioning seamlessly into one another. This makes the album feel like one long story of highs and lows, and the variety within the slower, sadder songs and the heavier, angry songs makes for another project that blends the two sides of the coin for The Used incredibly well. It's a sharp album that feels focused and driven, and the raw edge they originally strived for after being inspired by Weezer's debut album Pinkerton was scrapped in favour of something much more polished and direct. 

This album also brought upon many changes for the band - these changes included a swap in management, producer, and drummer. This is the band's first album with their drummer Dan Whitesides, who has been working with them ever since they brought him along for this project. His drumming is highly focused, and the changes in staffing led to the band feeling less confined than they had felt prior to working on this album; with these changes alleviating the feelings of being kept in a box that the band had faced.

Matt Squire producing this album was a massive change for the band, as this marked the first time a studio album by them was not produced by John Feldmann of Goldfinger - whom the band had been working with since their debut self-titled album after Bert McCracken threw one of their demo CD's onto the stage of a Goldfinger concert in 2001. 

Despite a new sound, this album still utilizes the edge and grit that the band had been known for since their debut, with Squire's production leading them into a new direction after the band had felt as if their last three albums were all very much the same. 

The band showcases growth throughout Artwork, and despite it being a step into a new direction, they don't lose their footing for even a slight moment throughout the runtime of the album, with 11 tracks and 43 minutes being used for incredible material and standout tracks like Blood on My Hands and Watered Down.

Despite being slightly panned in its ratings, Artwork is another very solid Used effort - it isn't quite as memorable as their previous three albums, but the sound here is satisfactory, especially for fans of the band, as it keeps their sound mostly in tact with some moments that some may consider to be slightly more on the side of poppy.