Artwork (album)
Artwork is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Used, released through Reprise in the United States and the United Kingdom on August 31, 2009. Recording The Used began writing for Artwork in early 2008, and originally hoped to enter the studio shortly after Kevin Lyman's 2008 "Get a Life Tour" with Weezer front-man Rivers Cuomo as producer of the album. The Used expressed their interest in the raw sound found on Weezer's 1996 album Pinkerton, and hoped to create a similar sound by working with Cuomo. The band ended up working with producer Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Receiving End of Sirens) and did not enter the studio until the end of 2008. On December 20, 2008, it was mentioned that the band had three or four weeks of recording remaining. In January 2009, the band posted a few videos of the recording process. On March 7, the group finished recording. The band experienced several changes upon making Artwork. The band changed management within their label Reprise Records. This was the first album with new drummer Dan Whitesides; also the first studio album that was not produced by Goldfinger's frontman John Feldmann. Feldmann had been working with The Used since lead singer Bert McCracken threw a demo on stage during a Goldfinger concert in 2001. Commenting on the band's state prior to these changes, guitarist Quinn Allman felt that, "we were kept in a space with our resources that was creating an essence for our band that wasn't who we truly were." Composition Feeling that the band's previous albums had a similar sound, they had hoped to make a brand new genre they refer to as "gross pop" with Artwork. In Alternative Press magazine, McCracken described the new genre, "In the past, we've always kind of brought pop sensibility into heavy rock, but this is going to be all that much more tantalizing and brutal. Our songs are 10 times messier and noisier than they've ever been." The themes of the record include "coming to grips with how much you really hate yourself" and the concept of mortality. McCracken, who had previously lived a "reckless life," recently came to terms with how easy it is to accidentally die after the death of actor Heath Ledger. Allman compared it musically to the group's self-titled album. He described "Blood on My Hands" as a track that "sums up everything about the Used." "Empty with You" is about being okay with feeling lonely, provided there is someone you can share the loneliness with. "Meant to Die" is loosely based on the death of Ledger and not being able to say "sorry," or "I never meant to die" after an accidental death. This album features Bert McCracken's brother Joseph McCracken singing at two songs. Release On March 30, 2009, Artwork was announced for release in June. In March and April, the band performed a handful of shows in the US with the Bled. The band appeared