Nickelback "Here and Now"

Here and Now is a record that may be an improvement over the last record, and while they are still following a similiar formula with few bells and whistles, this track seems slightly different. I must say for an opening song, as with the majority of their opening songs, they always have bite and may be hard and heavy; in sound or groove, and sometimes fast, but they always start their records off with a winner, and if you cannot agree then "This Means War". Ha HA! The next track is one made for drinking, so turn on the record and "Bottoms Up" in a slow groove song that leads to a mean and speedy riddlin' solo. I know we've heard it all before, but we know their sound borrows from others and even rips off themselves, but now U2?!! I mean that's just..wait, it's not like they're the first band to do so. The song made for a Sunday Bloody Sunday is now reinterpreted as one of Nickelback's best singles as well as best songs EVER which is a powerful anthem about unity and seeing past differences to make the world a better place "When We Stand Together." The song has an awesome rhythm section and some interesting percussion in there. Now we go to a song about a "Midnight Queen" which is a little bit quicker and groovier. The next track and its sound is grungy with slightly metallic funk edge sounds familiar, but I still "Gotta Get Me Some," and we know what this song's about. "Lullaby" is one of those huge songs that could be a hit, with the built in sap of a tree, and some sentiment with some piano that almost seems the opposite to the song that follows. It orders us to "Kiss It Goodbye" with its screams and grungy, mean groove, it's call and response group vocals and sound made for a huge cage match. I must say that when I start "Trying Not To Love You" they throw a song with an awesome riff or something slightly different that gives me hope. This bluesy (latin?Probably Not ) riff makes the song, and the vocals are as always..tolerable; he does have a good voice, and this song should definitely be a single! It sounds so good it's like "Holding On To Heaven" which is another song that can probably be a hit, and sounds larger than life. "Everything I Wanna Do" is confusing, because I have no idea as to why it is so memorable; could it be the groove, or the rhythm? The underlining strings? Maybe it is a flashback from before they became big? Every record, since their 2001 breakout, they would end with a country-tinged track; which is an interesting quality to their records, and "Don't let it Ever End." This next song sounds like a Theory of a Dead Man tune, but I'm not sure if it could be classified as following their trend. My favorites were: This Means War, When We Stand Together, Midnight Queen, Trying Not To Love You, Everything I Wanna Do, and Don't Let It Ever End