The Used

As pretentious and snotty as lead vocalist Bert McCracken comes across on record and in live performance, it’s hard to knock this album. Polished to almost a Britney Spears standard, well performed and catchy as hell, In Love and Death gets in your face and will not go away. There are more electronic effects placed on the guitars, vocals are let to screech and squeal beyond the boundaries of the song, and the melodies stick in your head forever. Much like their first self-titled release, the album gets better with every listen. By the end of the album, however, you may be convinced that McCracken has probably got a screw or two loose.