Style: Industrial, rock, pop, multiple genres
Primary Emotions/Themes: An exploration of melodies and soundscapes within and out of a pop song structure, an album of contradictions
Thoughts: I heard from several people that Reznor wanted this album to be a revisiting of the Downward Spiral sound. After listening to it more than a few times, I don't think that this is accurate in the slightest outside of the cover (who is made by the same artist as Downward Spiral).
The music here is very different from the past works of Nine Inch Nails, while still sounding immediately like the band. This is simpler in it's execution, there's less going on here than in pervious releases... yet that works in its favor. Most of the music is rhythmic by nature with Trent's voice being the main focus. Drums, a pulse and vocals... that's what we get for most of Hesitation Marks, and I'll be damned if it doesn't work.
The album is stronger in its first half than the second, but that's hardly a knock on the album. Considering how varied and diverse NIN's discography it's crazy to me that he continues to innovate as he has for decades now. Probably one of the more creative minds to ever hit the mainstream music scene in my lifetime.
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