Nickelback, ‘When We Stand Together’ – Song Review [Video]

2011-11-01

Review by Anne Erickson

Nickelback’s pop song shows a lighter, more emotional side of the band

Thanks to their omnipresent No. 1 song, “How You Remind Me,” Nickelback became the leader of the post-grunge generation in 2001, carrying a heavy tendency towards straight-ahead, hard rock. Now, a decade later, we know that while Nickelback can be raw and raunchy, there’s also an unpredictably sentimental slant in Chad Kroeger and the band’s music, and it ranges from heart-pouring power ballads to songs about poverty and helping the greater good. Nickelback’s new pop single, “When We Stand Together,” falls into the latter category, as it strives to raise awareness about world poverty and war. Watch the lyric video, below.

After a catchy blend of drums, guitars and keys starts off the ballad, Kroeger’s gruff vocals step in, pleading, “One more depending on a prayer, and we all look away, people pretending everywhere, it’s just another day. There’s bullets flying through the air, and they still carry one. We watch it happen over there, and then just turn it off.”

With swelling, warm guitars, “When We Stand Together” sounds touching and tugs at the heart strings. Just listen to the chorus: “We must stand together / there’s not giving in / hand in hand forever / that’s when we all win,” Kroeger insists.

Fitting for a song that finds Nickelback’s emotional breadth opening up, the guys experiment with some new flourishes here, adding in pianos and keyboards. They also sound a bit lighter than usual, bringing some relief from the heavy guitars upon which Nickelback were built. All of this makes for a more varied Nickelback song. One could call it the “good angel” in contrast to the Canadian band’s guilty-pleasure, party-happy anthem, “Bottoms Up.” Both songs come off the band’s upcoming album, Here and Now, which arrives Nov. 21 on Roadrunner Records.

Ink Rating: 4 out of 5 Guitar Gauges

 


Watch the Lyric Video for, ‘When We Stand Together’





Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Music, Reviews, Rock, Songs

2 Comments

  1. Barry Howell
    02 Nov 2011, 3:57 am

    GREAT song lyrically and musically. But the message is naive and ignorant. As long as humanity exists, so will bad, evil, greedy, selfish, murdering, power hungry people.

    Which, ironically, is exactly WHY we humans will NEVER.. “Stand Together”.

    Bad people will always exist.

    Reply
  2. Alkhemist
    02 Nov 2011, 12:17 pm

    It’s sad to see comments like the previous one, but it highlights exactly what the video is about. I’m not so pessimistic and, thankfully, neither are Nickelback. In this time of worldwide revolution, it’s time to Think Different (a la Steve Jobs) and CHANGE. Can we do this? ABSOLUTELY. Will we? WE MUST!

    And now we have our very own anthem! :D

    Reply

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