FALLING HOME

I've always felt ambivalent towards acoustic albums. In some ways, I appreciate acoustic albums as they recontextualize various songs from a band's discography, especially if it belongs to the heavy rock or metal genre. However, seldom do I return to acoustic albums, as I almost always prefer the original interpretations of the featured songs. The same can be said about 'Falling Home' by Pain of Salvation. I will be reviewing the Standard Edition of 'Falling Home,' as opposed to the Limited Edition Digipack, which includes the bonus tracks "She Likes to Hide" and "King of Loss."

'Falling Home' opens with a jazz interpretation of "Stress," from the band's 1997 debut album, 'Entropia.' The main vocal melody of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" is referenced in the beginning of the song. Léo Margarit plays the drums in a jazz style with a light touch. I love the barbershop vocal harmonies during the "Up on the rooftops" lyric. This then launches into a 50s style rock guitar solo, a la Chuck Berry. I like Daniel "D2" Karlsson's jazz organ playing during the bridge. I love the original version of "Stress," and it's one of my favorite songs on 'Entropia.' The 'Falling Home' version, in my opinion, doesn't quite capture the feeling of stress as successfully as the original. Nevertheless, this is a creative reinterpretation of a song that I am fond of.

The following track, "Linoleum," was taken from the band's seventh studio album, 'Road Salt One.' This reinterpretation is more dynamic than the original and contains an intense crescendo towards the end. Margarit delivers a powerful drum performance, depsite using brushes instead of sticks. Ragnar Zolberg's backing vocals are strong. "To the Shoreline" and "1979" were taken from the band's eigth studio album, 'Road Salt Two.' I find the inclusion of songs from 'Road Salt One' and 'Road Salt Two' to be redundant, as both albums are more acoustic-oriented. I could understand reinterpreting "Linoleum," as that song is one of the heavier songs on 'Road Salt One.' However, the 'Falling Home' versions of "To the Shoreline" and "1979" are essentially facsimiles of the originals.

"Chain Sling" was taken from the band's fourth album, 'Remedy Lane,' which is one of my favorite albums of all time. "Chain Sling" is one of my favorite Pain of Salvation cuts. I do find it odd, however, that out of all the songs on 'Remedy Lane,' the band chose "Chain Sling," as it's an acoustic song already. As you can tell, there's not much of a difference between the 'Falling Home' version and the original. The main difference is that Zolberg sings the high vocals, which could've been an indication of Gildenlöw's vocal decline.

'Falling Home' includes two covers: "Holy Diver" by Dio, and "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed. I like Daniel Gildenlöw's crooning vocals on "Holy Diver," as well as the jazz guitar solo. Pain of Salvation's cover of "Holy Diver" is a major shift from the original. I prefer their cover of "Perfect Day." The "You just keep me hanging on" crescendo is beautiful.

The three consecutive tracks, "Mrs. Modern Mother Mary," "Flame to the Moth," and "Spitfall," are all taken from the band's sixth studio album, 'Scarsick.' Like 'Remedy Lane,' 'Scarsick' is among my favorite albums of all time. I also regard 'Scarsick' as the most underrated Pain of Salvation album. I was pleased to see these three songs from 'Scarsick' on 'Falling Home,' and I was interested in how the band would interpret them in an acoustic context. The 'Falling Home' version of "Flame to the Moth" lacks the savagery of the original, especially the screaming. The 'Falling Home' version of "Spitfall" lacks the power of the original. In my opinion, "Spitfall" shouldn't have been written for an acoustic arrangement in the first place.

'Falling Home' closes with the title track, an original written by Gildenlöw and Zolberg. "Falling Home" is a singer-songwriter ballad that contains beautiful vocal harmonies and a strummed acoustic guitar accompaniment. The title track serves as a gentle ending to the album.

In conclusion, 'Falling Home' is another acoustic album that I rarely return to. Few songs on this album augment the greatness of the originals. 'Falling Home' is for collectors and fans only, and surpasses 'Be' as being the weakest Pain of Salvation album.