Album Review: Break the Spell

Rating: A- 

Break the Spell is the third studio album from American-based rock band Daughtry. The lead singer, Chris Daughtry, has come a long way since his days on American Idol, and it shows in the new album. Break the Spell has twelve great rock tracks, and together they make a one great rock album.

The album kicks off with Renegade, a gritty, hard hitting song, which gets the blood pumping straight away. It is a fantastic song and it’s no surprise it was the first single released off the album. Daughtry return to their most comfortable, pop rock style of music with the second single released, Crawling Back To You. The song starts off slower then ups the tempo during chorus, offers a bit of guitar then Chris Daughtry belts out the chorus one last time. These types of pop rock tracks have always worked well for the band and this is no exception. Most of the album continues in this style, and I would particularly recommend listening to Crazy and We’re Not Gonna Fall.  

My favourite song off Break the Spell would have to be Outta My Head. It’s slightly less gritty than Renegade, but delivers a great rhythm, and a nice change up from the rest of the pop rock tracks on the album. Daughtry pushes himself more vocally in the song and there are great guitar moments throughout the track.

All the songs on Break the Spell are written by Chris Daughtry, and his song writing has improved immensely since he began his career. This shows in Gone Too Soon, a slow, heartfelt song about a lost baby. Daughtry creates a powerful image in your mind in this song and it lingers in your mind for a few moments after the song has finished. It’s a brilliant track and a credit to the whole band.

The only reason I would not give Break the Spell a perfect rating is the lack of diversity from the previous albums. While die-hard Daughtry fans will find this pleasing, I personally would have liked to see it head in a slightly different direction from the usual pop rock which dominates nearly the whole album. I would have liked to either see more gritty songs such as Renegade and Outta My Head, or more meaningful and slower songs such as Gone Too Soon. Other than this, it is a great album, and a definite in your rock collection.