Mackenzie Cummings-Grady  Journal Staff

Buckcherry was one of my favorite bands in middle school. Their hiatus comeback album is still on repeat when I feel like listening to some raunchy explicit rock and roll. When I first heard their new album Confessions, which released on Tuesday, I debated not even reviewing it, for the last eight years their post 15 albums have been abysmal. Black Butterfly {2008} was too ballad heavy, and provided minimal opportunities to rock out, which is what the band is known for. All Night Long (2010) was the complete opposite and was filled with party songs that were shallow and all sounded exactly the same, and some even seemed under produced.

As it seemed impossible for the band to gain back that balance they had on 15 they released Confessions after a three-year break. While they still have a long way to go before they gain back the support of those they lost during the slump of the last eight years, Confessions shines a light of hope on the band, that maybe it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

The highlights of the album are no doubt “Gluttony” and “Dreaming of You,” both completely different rock songs. “Gluttony” through thick guitars and Josh Todd’s crackling vocals tell the story of a man addicted to danger and partying. The track is formulated in a unique way to make a statement they’ve been attempting to make since 15, that they are a hardcore party hard rock band. If anything the track inspires one to go out on a Saturday night and paint the town red just like Sunshine did back in 2005. “Dreaming of you” is a simple, yet well-written love song, and shows a softer side to Josh’s voice. Even though I believe Todd’s vocals are unsuitable for ballads, “Dreaming of You” shows a maturity in lyricism that I haven’t seen from the band since “Sorry” and “Carousel”. Other gems such as “Greed” and “Air” gain the same kind of party-hard/love making response from the listener, and overall the musicianship sounds well-constructed. While some tracks are still under-developed and seem almost rushed in production {“Envy” and “Lust” for example}, the album shows a change in the band’s style, and overall a maturity that hasn’t been visible in the last eight years. I thought my favorite guilty pleasure band was dead and gone, but with Confessions they’ve made my little eighth grade  heart beat again, if only on every other song.