I recently reconnected myself with NIN after a period of dormancy. [With_Teeth] was especially awesome, but the overtly political Year Zero also had good shit to offer. I even found something to take home from the two-disc ethereal instrumental Ghosts album. Having said that, my favorite of Trent is the guitar-centered rage of the Broken EP.
It's important to note that as to where I'm coming from, because there's nary a sight of guitar on Hesitation Marks. Which is okay. Clearly the focus of Nails has always been the synthesizer. My biggest draw against this record is not its lack of rocking. Through all the sounds, it still "rocks".
But I feel a formula. I feel a stagnation. With this record in total, as opposed to fractions of previous albums, I feel like Trent is purposefully employing only what is the most basic elements expected of him. There's always a disjointed electro beat to introduce the tune. It always grows with a more tuneful electronic blip pattern. Low registered vocals kick the song out. Greater synthesized drones kick up the noise level as live drums make the beat steadier. Vocals get louder and more impassioned. Vocals get doubled to attempt to avoid repetition. Song out.
The lyrics are also all the same. If Trent gets a nickel for every time he asked that he could get away from wherever he was currently at, he'd be a rich man. It's aggravated regret over and over with out substantially describing the emotion. And he got by on that once. As a young artist, "Down In It" was an awesome way to say nothing more than, "This sucks." And as a mature artist, I don't require that you actually grow or change, but I do have to believe that you're not just phoning it in.
Outside of my own bitching, I actually do have a favorite. "Everything" is an upbeat, dancey, noisy new wave tune that stands out like a sore thumb against the rest of the tracks. The bass riff could have been lifted from a Green Day outtake. The bridge between verses could bleed itself into a "Just Like Heaven" cover. It gives me hope that Trent will live another day and not hesitate to grow a little. (2 of 5 stars)
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