It saddens me to write this review for a band in Theory of a Deadman that has produced some of my all-time favorite music. "Scars and Souvenirs" represents one of the wisest purchase decisions I have made in quite sometime in that I did not actually purchase it for myself; it was, rather, a gift for someone else, and therefore I had the chance to listen to it and decide if I wanted a copy for myself before actually buying my own copy.The answer to that would be a definite "no." It pains me to write this, but there really were not three songs on this album that I liked. Two songs, that's it. "So Happy," while being far from original, is a decent tune, even with the blatant ripoff (or homage, depending on your perspective) of Alice in Chains on that introductory vocal harmony. The next song, "By the Way" is also a solid track and possibly the best cut on the record. It is something of a ballad, but its somewhat darker tone definitely reminded me of some of the material from the band's self-titled record - a good thing in my book.After that, I got nothing. Musically, the only other point on the entire record that stands out to me is the first twenty seconds or so of "Bad Girlfriend" - or basically until the lyrics begin. Now, Theory of a Deadman have never really been Shakespeare when it's come to lyrical matter, but for the past two records, the lyrics were usually at least decent and if not the most original, then at least they seemed sincere. The lyrics on this record, for the most part, come across as absolutely banal and insipid. "Bad Girlfriend," especially, comes across as a cheap imitation of Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch," a song that I can't understand why anyone would want to imitate in the first place.This record is chock full of ballads, and unlike previous TOAD ballads such as "In the Middle" or the amazing "The Last Song," none of them are the least bit memorable. Instead, they all seem like desperate attempts at securing some moderately successful singles which will shortly thereafter fade into total obscurity. Also, I'm not sure who handled the production for this album, but there was a lot of what can only be described as "excessive crap" thrown into the songs. There are several songs with some sort of electronic beats or even an organ at one point which, while being potentially great ways to add some spice to the sound if executed properly, nonetheless add absolutely nothing to the song and come across as nothing more than superfluous garbage.One other song which could have been nice to hear was "Hate My Life." While certainly not the least bit original, it is a nice playful little tune that would have been an interesting change of pace on an album like "Gasoline." After suffering through the previous six songs on this album, though, it just comes across as annoying.If you are a newcomer to Theory of a Deadman, having just heard "So Happy" on the radio, I'd recommend downloading a single copy of "So Happy" and then checking out "Gasoline" before buying this. Not only is it simply a better album in my opinion, but the songs you'll find on that album are actually much more similar to "So Happy" than those found on "Scars and Souvenirs." For older fans of the band, definitely take a listen before you buy it. It is a way, way different sound that will no doubt be appealing to some, but for those like me, it will simply leave you asking, "Why...?"Until they do something completely groundbreaking, ToAD won't be able to shake its association with Chad Kroeger/Nickelback because of their method of discovery coupled with their 604-RoadRunner Records contracts management.However, that doesn't mean Tyler Conn0lly and the rest of Theory of A Deadman are incapable of producing enjoyable music. "Scars and Souvenirs" is a great example of musical maturation by a band with incredible potential. Though the album's sound and lyrical content are by no means revolutionary or particularly insightful, there are indications that the band is taking necessary steps to find its own niche in mainstream alternative. The arrangements, schizophrenic as they are, seem to be less palatable than those of Nickelback's, and there is a genuine nature behind Connolly's writing.Compared with their debut and sophomore albums, "S&S" isn't afraid to venture for a slightly more mellow approach, instead of drilling songs into your brain. Nonetheless, this album is more than worthy of a listen.Iam sorry but there is no way this album is as good as there other efforts.The songs are much slower and the song writting not as good .Iknow every swears now and then ,but whats they point in every other song,maybe its me but i think cleaner words could be used.They are a few good songs on here but not enough for me to recondmend it.My opinon buy the other two there much betterThis is a great third album by TOAD. I like every song on this album. The lyrics to So Happy and Hate my Life are excellent. There is not a bad song on this entire album.They put on a great live show as well.Buy this album!!!!!!There is one awesome song on this CD. What makes it so good is a complete lack of originality. Take a little AIC and go a long long way.
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