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Title: Back In the Hitting Zone
Review: Some Collective Soul fans were bothered by the minor left turn their sound made on 2000's "Blender." I didn't mind it so much; I think "Why, Pt. 2" and "Vent" are among their better songs. Nonetheless, "Youth" is definitely a more completely satisfying effort, in line sound-wise with 1999's "Dosage." The band replaced a guitarist without missing a beat (pardon the pun), and has churned out nine punchy, punctuated, arena-ready rockers to go along with two well-crafted ballads, "How Do You Love" and "Under Heaven's Skies." It's a pull-back to their strengths, which is not surprising considering the personnel shift, but it's fun and it delivers.
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