Goo Goo Dolls are one of alternative rock’s brightest success stories of the past two decades. With humble beginnings as a garage punk band in Buffalo, NY the band has come long way since 1986. With a natural progression through various forms of rock-n-roll John Rzeznik and Robby Takac morphed into one of the biggest alternative pop rock bands in the world. With the release of their tenth studio album Magnetic in 2013 the band proved they can still write catchy and powerful songs and are not going away anytime soon. In April 2013 the guys went into The Live Room at East West Studios in Los Angeles, CA to record an EP titled Warner Sound Sessions. A year later, on April 8th, the five track offering was released to fans worldwide via Warner Bros Records.
Consisting of four songs from Magnetic and a new recording of the massive hit “Slide” fans may wonder if it was necessary to add this to their collection, and the answer is a resounding yes. With each track the band take the songs and make them sound heavier, more raw, and more live. The song “Rebel Beat” is given new life with thicker guitar tones, a punchier drum beat, and Rzeznik’s voice right in your face. That trend continues on “When The World Breaks Your Heart” with powerful guitar sounds that remind you of the Goo Goo Dolls of yesteryear.
The widely recognized “Slide” is given a fresh sound with what sounds like steel guitar strings and a crunchy distorted rhythm behind it. The complements of some keyboards adds luscious texture to an already great tune. The live vibe is contiguous, upbeat, and fun. The song “Come To Me” was a stand out track on Magnetic and during this recording the song is giving deeper sound with atmospheric backing vocals. The song could easily become a favorite pick as a wedding song for years to come and this edition is excellent. The EP closes out with “Keep The Car Running” with a much more prevalent rock-n-roll feeling than the original recording. The keyboards complement the rather than dominate the space and listening to the song is experiencing it anew.
Warner Sound Sessions is a fabulous collection of tunes. The only downside to this release is it is an EP, fans will wish it was a full-length album, that is how good the recordings are. These recordings give the band an edge which has not been heard since Gutterflower (2002). Do not sell the Goo Goo Dolls short, these guys can write hits as well as rock hard. CrypticRock give this EP 5 out of 5 stars.
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