America Online
AOL 9.0: Up to 1000
Hours Free!"
Rock icon America Online has returned with its ninth studio album AOL 9.0: Up to 1000 Hours Free and unfortunately has only delivered more of the same. After their last lackluster album (AOL 8.0 Beta: Up to 500 Hours Free), critics demanded some innovative sonic exploration from AOL, especially with new frontman Jonathan Miller at the reins. Sadly for fans, Miller has only managed to cook up the same old tunes that made AOL a hit with their first album, America Online 1.0: Up to 10 Hours Free. For example, leading off the album for the ninth straight time is AOL's standard "Setup.exe." With no sound whatsoever, "Setup.exe" is the type of average, fast-paced number fans have come to loathe, (though if you're using an older computer, its much slower). Also, the track "Try BonziBuddy Free!" is just as irritating now as the very first time it popped into the public consciousness on AOL's last effort. In fact, the only stand-out track is "Shortcut to AOL 9.0 Optimized" whose only merit lies in its marginal increase in lyrical originality from last year's single "Shortcut to AOL 9.0". Despite its shortcomings, AOL 9.0: Up to 1000 Hours Free is sure to send America Online to the top of the charts again. The album is highly marketable due to its familiarity, but it provides none of the pizzazz or creativity that 21st century consumers have come to expect from their CDs. Related Album "NetZero: We're F*cking Giving It Away"
-- Jonah Platt
