The Rebellious Rocker's Third Go Around Is Satisfying!

Try This (2003)

1. "Trouble"

In this energetic rock track, P!nk is in the trouble that she is in as the song is vague what she is singing about. Could it be her troubling personality? That seems to be the case with such lyrics as "So if you see me coming/Down the street then/You know it's time to/Go (go-oh-oh..I got)". It's a pretty fun song that shows that P!nk is embracing her bad girl image once again but it isn't a song I'll go back to anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics are fine, the rock melody is well produced and P!nk sounds good but it isn't one of my favorites from her.

(C+)

2. "God Is DJ"

In this feel good anthem, P!nk sings about her mischievous ways as she expresses why life is sung a metaphorical dance floor as God is playing the music we all dance too. The song is ok, nothing much to say about it. Lyrically, I can't really figure out what exactly is the meaning of the song. One could say it's about leaving life without a care in the world as it is up to God to decide where our path leads as well as where we go. P!nk's rebellious nature is once again reference as she showcases her carefree spirit. Overall, the song doesn't really resonate with be in the end but it's a decent track for the most part.

(C)

3. "Last To Know"

In this furious rock anthem, P!nk is anything but pleased that her man missed her show and she isn't holding back why that pissed her off. It's a pretty good song with very straightforward lyrics and a good production. Though it doesn't feel like a standout to me. It's a fun if not meaningless song that has a nice melody and lyrics that are fine for singing along to but it doesn't leave much of an impression.

(B-)

4. "Tonight's The Night"

In this almost folk-rock track, P!nk is adamant about having a good night out with her friends as she sings about the misfortunes as well as misadventures she and her ladies will get into. It's another average song at best for me. I mean the melody is fine and the theme of having the time of your life despite what may happen is fine but I just can't get into this song as much as it tries to make me.

(C)

5. "Oh My God" (Featuring Peaches)

Well, this is a sexy little detour from the rest of the album. The lyrics are full of sensuality and seduction as P!nk is in heat for her man. I like this side of P!nk that we don't see too often. Sure, we know that she is a bad girl but this is a refreshing look into her naughty side as well as semi-graphic fantasies. I really enjoy this one for that reason alone.

(B+)

6. "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping"

Wow!!! This has this old school R&B/vintage soul feel to it that is very enjoyable! I like that on these post-"Can't Take Me Home", P!nk hasn't completely abandoned that side of her music once upon a time. She sounds incredible when it comes to this genre of music whether she likes it or not. Though I'm sure it's the former as she sings this with the right amount of soulful inflections and graceful maturity. The lyrics are once again pretty sensual as she sings in the chorus "Oh, Oh You can catch me while/I'm sleepin', darlin'/Maybe While I'm dreamin', too/'Cause It's a lonely, lonely, lonely place for me baby /It must get lonely for you, too". Without a doubt, one of my favorites from the album so far! 

(A-)

7. "Waiting For Love"

I really LOVE this song!! The production is stellar and P!nk's vocals are so raw as well as emotionally moving.  This has a epic guitar instrumental in the background and the arrangements just pull at the heartstrings. I love the lyrics as P!nk sings a tale of a woman so desperately looking for love which seems to imply she is looking for some kind of fulfillment in her life. This is just a really strong track and P!nk really sells the hell out of it. Another standout on this album if you ask me. Wow, this albums quality has taken a turn for the better!

(A-)

8. "Save My Life"

While P!nk refers to this woman in need of an intervention in the third person, there is no doubt that this song is truly about her and her past addiction. The chorus pretty much sums it as she sings "Save my life, won't you help me/Save my life, won't you help me/Save my life, won't you hear me/Save my life, won't you help me". I like it as the song is deep and personal. P!nk sings this will a vulnerable subtly as her vocals invoke so much pain and regret. There seems to also be a man in the picture she is unsure about getting him involved in her problems as she sings "And he's a real good guy and he/Wants to save her 'cause he's/More than been there all before/And she's so confused and his heart is breaking and he/Dreams she's knocking on his door". Overall, this is a splendid track full of depth and emotional turmoil that I'm sure with have listeners going back just to get those tears out.

(B+)

9. "Try Too Hard"

"Try Too Hard" seems to be about a certain individual who seems to be fake and would rather impress people than be themselves. I'm sure there are a lot of people who can relate to this song as they know people as well as are those kinds of people. Lyrics like "You're telling everyone how different that you really are/But it's been said before, so maybe you're not special after all/If you put the same amount of effort into letting go/Just act yourself and you might like it, you never know" show how most people would rather put on a facade than actually be who they are. It's a shame but that is how society is unfortunately. A solid song with a good, if not mostly, generic rock production.

(B)

9. "Humble Neighborhoods"

This song has an 80s pop-rock tone to it that makes it stand out. "Humble Neighborhoods: is a fun rock anthem with lyrics that emphasize the joys of life on the road as well as just having a limitless night of fun. It's a pretty good song but I don't feel that connected to it. The production is fine and the melody is ok but it doesn't really have that replay value for me.

(C+)

10. "Walk Away"

"Walk Away" is a tale of P!nk being fed up with her man's childish antics as he can't seem to face hi problems and work things out with P!nk. P!nk not only has reached her breaking point but she is ready to do the same thing he does by "walking away" from the relationship. A song that you think would be heartbreaking, "Walk Away" has a more upbeat tone and a sense of confidence to it. Instead of drowning in her sorrows over her man's immature behavior, she is more than ready to move on as she sings at one point "So here I am, driving down the street/Lookin' for a sign, when will I meet/The man of my dreams?/When will he come to me?/When will he come to me?". It comes off as very empowering and full of hope she realizes he's making a big mistake and is his loss. I like the song for that reason as it's playful but serious about the consequences of a relationship that feels one sided. Pretty solid!

(B)

11. "Unwind"

Well, this has nice practical instrumentation type production and classic rock as P!nk sings about her need to serious "unwind" as she has worked very hard. Who can blame her? She is obviously one of the hardest working women in the music business and is often underrated. There is a deep sadness yet overwhelming resilience in the first verse as she sings " I hide my pain like the rest of them/That's why I'm always laughing/I'm troubled, I'm brilliant and miserable too/That's why I am so funny/I swallow down all my fears/With a bottle made of silver/I've only been here for 27 years /But already my life is over". Even the second verse opens up with a lyric that is kind of tearful with "My life is like a fairytale/That nobody believes in". But instead of making the song into a borderline depressing mess, P!nk looks on the bright side. Even if she is masking her pain, it's because her need for joy and laughs is needed to heal those emotional open wounds. A nice little tune with some deep meaning behind it.

(B+)

12. "Love Song"

Wow! The lyrics to this song are quite excellent as P!nk sings at one point "I feel I must protect/But what's the point of this armor/If it keeps the love away, too?/I'd rather bleed with cuts of love/Than live without any scars". Dammmnn!!! That seriously pulls at the heart strings man! The song is so brief but makes such an immense impression and P!nk really captures the heartfelt emotion needed to make such a short song standout regardless. "This is my very first love song/That didn't end in tears/I think you re-wrote my love song/For the rest of my years/I will love you for the rest of my Life". Awww, such a touching way to end this terrific track. 

(B+)

13. "Hooker"

In this vulgarity filled last track, P!nk fully embraces the trashy and overly promiscuous lifestyle of a "hooker". The song is just fun as it has a great melody and the chorus is simple yet drives home the message of how empty the life of a prostitute can be. Yet lyrics like "Yeah, you got money in your pocket/And you shoot up the ground like a rocket/You move so fast, lord you can't stop it" show there is some fun to be had with being the lady of the midnight streets. If anything, it's not the best song on the album or memorable but I enjoy it for the most part for the embracing of the tackiness and cheapness it presents.

(B-)

After her international successful sophomore effort, "M!ssudaztood" and adding her own single "Feel Good Time" to the "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" soundtrack, it was time for P!nk to work her her highly anticipated follow-up. One thing that P!nk didn't have to worry about this time was working with a completely new sound. "M!ssundaztoood" showed that not only could P!nk excel at the pop-rock genre but that her fans as well s new ones would accept her new direction in music no matter what. "Try This" had [i]a lot[/i] to to live up too. Her second album proved to be personal, often times riveting and raw as well as being fun and incorporating a lot of what makes P!nk so unqiue. Her third effort is more of the same from her last album, though unfortunately, not as good. The album has a rocky start, not that the likes of "Trouble", "Tonight's The Night" and " God Is A DJ" aren't great, they just don't compared to the meat and soul of the album once it really get good toward it's midsection. "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping", "Save My Life" and "Waiting For Love" completely encapsulates the best of the album as well as showing P!nk's growing maturity as her music still can be very surreal and enriching at times. The album's continues the same themes of "M!ssundaztood" by showing her rebellious side as well as her vulnerable side. P!nk once again isn't afraid to call people out on their BS as songs like "Walking Away" and "Try Too Hard" indicate. But she balances that out by calling herself out as well on songs like "Trouble" as she admits her bad girl behavior can sometimes get out of hand even for her. While the album is solid, it turned out to be not the hit maker that her previous release was as "Try This" only made it to #9 on the Billboard 2000 Charts and sold only 147,000 copies it's first week. While going platinum, it has only sold over 719,000 copies in the US. It's a shame as "Try This" certainly had the same effort put into that "M!ssundaztood" had. Linda Perry return to write a couple of songs with P!nk as well as Rancid singer and guitarist Tim Armstrong. The album critically got mixed reviews. While some enjoyed the strong succession of her previous album, others thought it didn't compared to "M!ssundaztood", too the point where they were saying P!nk was phoning it in at some points. I think that is completely false as you can definitely hear the true passion at times that P!nk has for her art. While "Try This" is groundbreaking, it's more than pleasing and has something for the fans who are enjoying this new found rocker edge that she has in her music.

"While not as profoundly personal and emotionally rewarding as her stunning sophomore effort, "Try This" is a good album in it's own right regardless. When P!nk gets vulnerable, she will have you on the brink of tears and when she's brutally honest, she will have you more than entertained."

(B)