Though a news release says the album wasn’t “necessarily” borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collective anxieties we all felt during that time (and continue to feel today, in some aspects), the authenticity of the songwriting and approach from singer/guitarist John Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac is clearly the byproduct of some serious soul-searching.
Chaos in Bloom, the 13th album from the band and first of original material since 2019’s Miracle Pill, the record was conceived using an “analog-to-tape recording process and vintage amps & pedals.” Self-produced by Rzeznik — the first Goo Goo Dolls album to feature that trait — Chaos in Bloom brings together the best elements of the Goo Doll Dolls’ sound.
Lead single “Yeah, I Like You” sets the tone right off the bat, an energetic anthem with Rzeznik’s pointed lyrics taking aim at “celebrity culture” and all that entails.
“In a world that is just drowning in social media and internet stars, many of whom are certainly talented, but many confirm that in 2022 you can be famous for doing nothing,” he said in a statement. “Celebrity in this age has a very quick burn. It was hard not to be consumed by it during the pandemic.”
Other tracks, like “Going Crazy,” allow the band to pick up the pace a bit and harken back to their earlier days as a hungry, garage-rock band (before a spate of 1990s’ alt/pop hits allowed them to graduate to arena-fillers). The song’s lyric video, too, features a cluttered living room and a television set — surely something to which we can all relate over the past few years.
The album’s back story, per a news release:
To record the album, Rzeznik and Takac retreated to Dreamland Studios just outside Woodstock, New York during the pandemic. An environment as remote as it is rich with historic rock music roots, the location proved to be the perfect setting for clearing the noise and creating such a record, which carries a true live quality that the band captured by blending vintage instruments and gear with new-age recording processes and techniques.
While Rzeznik is the band’s “lead singer,” Takac takes up lead vocal duties every now and then, at least once on each album. On Chaos in Bloom, he powers through one of the album’s strongest tracks, the shimmery, power-pop gem “Loving Life,” his slightly raspy voice a complement to Rzeznik’s, which has become synonymous with the Goo Goos’ many, many FM radio hits.
Of course, no Goo Goo record is complete without a power ballad, and “You Are The Answer” is tailor made for lighters and cell phone lights in a live setting, a piano anthem set to Rzeznik’s soaring vocals.
Simply put, Chaos in Bloom is an especially solid late-era release from the Goo Goo Dolls, one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the past 3+ decades. Sure, their commercial peak may have reached it apex in the mid-to-late ’90s with “Name,” “Iris,” “Slide,” “Black Balloon” and several other hits, but they’re still pumping out earnest anthems with sweeping hooks and that boundless energy, not to mention Rzeznik’s knack for sardonic, thoughtful lyrical phrases that hold the mirror up to our shared experience.
The album’s track listing:
Yeah, I Like You
War
Save Me From Myself
Let The Sun
Loving Life
Going Crazy
Day After Day
Past Mistakes
You Are The Answer
Superstar
Catch the Goo Goo Dolls on the road on a headlining tour in the coming weeks, with special guest Blue October — and expect a selection of Chaos in Bloom tracks along with several of the band’s most memorable tunes.
They also announced an additional fall tour of smaller venues, as well.
August 16, 2022 – Boston, MA – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
August 17, 2022 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
August 19, 2022 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 20, 2022 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
August 21, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for the Performing Arts
August 23, 2022 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheatre
August 24, 2022 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
August 26, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 27, 2022 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
August 28, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
August 30, 2022 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre
August 31, 2022 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
September 2, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
September 3, 2022 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
September 4, 2022 – Palo Alto, CA – Frost Amphitheater
September 12, 2022 – Waite Park, MN – The Ledge Amphitheater
September 13, 2022 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre
September 15, 2022 – Grand Rapids, MI – Mejer Gardens
September 17, 2022 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Zoo Amphitheatre
September 18, 2022 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
September 20, 2022 – Doswell, VA – After Hours Concerts at The Meadow Event Park
September 21, 2022 – Toledo, OH – Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
September 22, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
September 24, 2022 – Buffalo, NY – Keybank Center
October 28, 2022 – Eau Claire, WI – Pablo Center At The Confluence *
October 30, 2022 – Ames, IA – Iowa State Center – Stephens Auditorium *
October 31, 2022 – Sioux Falls, SD – Washington Pavilion – Mary W. Sommervold Hall *
November 2, 2022 – Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theatre *
November 3, 2022 – Appleton, WI – Fox Cities Performing Arts Center – Thrivent Hall *
November 5, 2022 – Rockford, IL – Coronado Performing Arts Center *
November 6, 2022 – Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre *
November 7, 2022 – South Bend, IN – Morris Performing Arts Center *
November 9, 2022 – Louisville, KY – Louisville Palace Theatre *
November 11, 2022 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts *
November 12, 2022 – Catoosa, OK – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tulsa *
November 14, 2022 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater *
November 15, 2022 – San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts *
November 16, 2022 – Lubbock, TX – The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences – Helen DeVitt Jones Theater *
November 18, 2022 – Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium *
November 20, 2022 – El Paso, TX – Plaza Theatre *
https://rockcellarmagazine.com/goo-goo-dolls-chaos-in-bloom-new-album-review-listen-stream/