It’s been 20 years since Goo Goo Dolls’ first album, and 15 since the release of their top album Dizzy Up the Girl. It hasn’t been that long since their latest album, but when your best album since the turn of the century is arguably one with “Greatest Hits” in the title, it’s not a good sign. The last album with original songs that was worth buying was Let Love In from 2004, which was 9 years ago. Writing this Goo Goo Dolls Magnetic review was not easy when I couldn’t help to compare this album to ones in the past. Nothing on this album comes close to songs like Iris, Slide, Name, Black Balloon, or even Better Days. Instead, for this Magnetic review I will do my best to ignore Goo Goo Dolls’ past work in order to give a practical and semi-unbiased review.

Goo Goo Dolls

    John Rzeznik – lead guitar, lead vocals (1985–present)
    Robby Takac – bass, vocals (1985–present)
    Mike Malinin – drums, percussion (1994–present)

1. Rebel Beat

The first song on this album is also the first single. The song starts with heavy electronic beats and an overlay of keyboard with an upbeat feeling. John Rzeznik’s voice enters with a mellow sound, slowing the song only to build it back up with a strong bass drum transition. Then John hits us with an exciting “Hey you, look around! Can you hear that noise? It’s a rebel sound. We got nowhere else to go,” and the acoustic guitar finally enters the party along with the full sound of the the drum set. From there come a few areas where they minimize the sound of certain instruments before building back up, which keeps the sound from getting stale. Overall Rebal Beat is a solid pop song, and it’s one of those songs that you want to go out and blast while driving down the freeway.

2. When the World Breaks Your Heart

It’s nice to hear an electric guitar open this song, with John Rzeznik’s voice and the drum set coming in quickly. As the song hits the bridge, the guitar and drums have a dramatic drop off when a group of string instruments enter the song, reminiscient of something they have used in past songs like Iris. Again, this song has a quick pace, but the theme of the song is closer to songs past, with a depressing undertone of being there for a girl who feels alone. Goo Goo Dolls again does a great job with the contrast of song, throwing in a variety of instrumental combinations to keep the sound interesting.

3. Slow It Down

The third song starts with anthem-type singing that transitions into talk singing, which gives the feeling of Plain White T’s Hey There Delilah. Afterwards, the song goes back to a normal sound that builds back up to how the song began. This repeats through most of the song. Nevertheless, this song is upbeat, fun, and has a clean acoustic sound. The best part of this song might be they message in the lyrics. In a time where everyone seems to be in a rush, filling their minds with worries and overthinking every situation, it’s nice to hear a message of slowing down, letting go, and just enjoying the fact that we have someone who loves and cares about us.

4. Caught in the Storm

Similar to Slow It Down, there really isn’t anything complicated to this song. I think ideally I would be more excited about a song that keeps changing its volume, but for me this song was pretty anti-climatic. It’s not painful to listen to, but it doesn’t evoke much emotion either. Also, the lyrics are very basic: “I’m caught in this storm / we call love / so alone come find me.”

5. Bringing on the Light

Robby Takac is the lead singer for this song, which will be a hit or miss depending on the audience. For me, this song is a pretty big flop. I am not a fan of Robby’s voice, and the lyrics also don’t seem to mean much of anything. Can anyone tell me what it means to be, “bringing on the light?”

6. Come to Me

We always knew John Rzeznik was a romantic, but this might be the happiest and sappiest song Goo Goo Dolls has ever done. It’s a song that will just have you nodding your head, and it has a folk sound that is gaining popularity in the music industry right now. This song was also assisted by Gregg Wattenberg (co-producer of Train’s Hey, Soul Sister). For old school fans of Goo Goo Dolls, this song embodies what they can’t stand about the new sound and feel. The lyrics are meaningful, and even though there are mixed reviews, how can you not love lyrics like these: “I’ll be kind, if you’ll be faithful” and “You be sweet and I’ll be grateful.” On a side note, many believe that this song is dedicated to John’s future wife and long-time girlfriend Melina Gallo.

7. More of You

The seventh track is another subpar song at best. More of You lacks any real climax or buildup to give it flow or character. There is also an odd techno beat running in the background, which I am not a fan of. I guess the few inserted “hey(s)” are kind of fun, but besides that, nothing really happens musically in this song. The lyrics are also basic, but at least they are straightforward.

8. Bulletproofangel

This song is a slow anthem, with a steady keyboard playing throughout the song and mixing well with the percussion. The support of string instruments also provides a dramatic touch. Overall, it is John Rzeznik’s voice that makes this song what it is. The soul of the traditional Goo Goo Dolls is apparent in this song. The transitions in this song are wonderful, with strong cymbals at some points and soft notes from the keyboard (accompanied by John’s voice) at other times. This song will be a hit when it is eventually released as a single. On a side note, I wonder if this song has anything to do with the classic Goo Goo Dolls’ song Bullet Proof, where the lyrics talk about bullet proofing a girl’s soul. The angel in this song could be the girl from the old hit Dizzy Up the Girl.

9. Last Hot Night

The ninth track is a fast-paced song with a full sound, and it was made for a loud, outdoor concert setting. The message of the song focuses on the current economic struggles in America and overcoming defeat to continue fighting for that American Dream. Overall, this song is well done, and it was not as forced as some of the other tracks on this album. The bridge is a perfect transition that just gets you excited for the last chorus.

10. Happiest of Days

This is the second and last song with Robby Takac as the lead singer. The song is an easy listen, but once again has very little impact. However, the chorus is pretty catchy.

11. Keep the Car Running

The final track has an easy sound, with a basic instrumental set. This is a reflection piece for a band that has been around for two decades and still finds itself writing new music and touring the nation. The beauty of this song just might be how simple it is, with just a bass guitar, electric guitar, and drum set to complement John’s classic smooth voice with a kick of raspiness. This song won’t blow you away, but it’s still worth a listen, which symbolizes this album as a whole.

Bonus Tracks:

    Home (Live)
    Black Balloon (Live)

Overall, I enjoyed the album and found most of the songs to be decent, but rarely did I feel inspired by any of the tracks. Magnetic is far from Goo Goo Dolls’ best work, but it is still worth listening to. I still wish I chose to watch Goo Goo Dolls in Austin in 2007 instead of the UT Longhorns football season opener — yeah, I said it.