They asked us to assist in the pursuit of “Kay,” but vowed to be “the man who can’t be moved.” Finally, they decided they would simply look at the end where they began, and try to break even. It doesn’t seem like The Script is too good at decision-making.
Luckily, the Irish soft-rockers’ second studio album, “Science & Faith,” is a fully fleshed-out and focused album dedicated to the trials and tribulation of relationships.
Released Jan. 18 in the U.S., but already out since September across the pond, “Science & Faith” is the follow-up to 2008’s self-titled debut by The Script, whose hit single “Breakeven” established them as a potent force. Their sophomore effort, which has already topped the charts in the U.K., Scotland and Ireland, carries that force through.
The album opens with “You Won’t Feel a Thing”, an ’80s-style Coldplay-channeling power ballad that balances soul-crushing lyrics and upbeat tempo into an even tussle. This mixture is present in a majority of the songs on the album, like “Long Gone and Moved On” and “Exit Wounds,” both of which deal with the similarly tempestuous topic of reluctantly turning down love.
But The Script knows how to make its music and lyrics work together in tandem as well as in counterpoint. Songs like lead single “For the First Time” harness a consistency of tone to produce an emotional, heartfelt song dealing with the harsh reality of the recession. During a phone interview with Sydney radio station Nova 96.9, lead singer/songwriter Danny O’Donoghue said the song was conceived after coming home from tour and realizing just how bad the recession was hitting everyone around him.
This isn’t the only song to spout from the band’s personal experience. The album’s title song “Science & Faith” was concocted after a disagreement drummer Glen Power had with his wife regarding whether love is formed from faith and feeling or science.
The argument itself makes up the brunt of the chorus: “You won’t find faith or hope down a telescope / You won’t find heart and soul in the stars / You can break everything down to the chemicals / but you can’t explain a love like ours.” The dramatic track mirrors the philosophical debate, resulting in a song that has significantly more weight than your average pop tune.
As an album, “Science & Faith” is effectively a continuation of its predecessor, keeping the same feel and soft rock sound that will likely lead to future top 10 hits. One of the only noticeable changes is the explicit rating slapped on the new album, although only “For the First Time” is altered in the clean version.
But aside from that minor difference, “Science & Faith” is just the next step in The Script’s journey, albeit one that’s a little less helter-skelter and a bit more consistent.
