Puzzle
by Biffy Clyro

It's alright but nothing to get me excited or that separates it from the pack. A lot of the songs sound like they're from a leaf taken from the Foo Fighters playbook. Many sound all to similar. Overall not bad, just a touch underwhelming. (Edited)

1. 90
2. 90
3. 100
4. 90
5. 80
6. 65
7. 90
8. 65
9. 95
10. 90
11. 100
12. 60
13. 95

You know you're in for an interesting ride when the intense opening moments of Biffy Clyro's Puzzle offer something rarely heard on LPs these days. It's a unique style, taking listeners directly into the new style of music the band has adopted. This is the majestically melodic and straightforward band most people know Biffy Clyro as, and in my mind that is not a bad thing. What the band offers here is an energetic outing filled with several infectious hooks on songs like "Who's Got A Match?" and "Now I'm Everyone".

This album goes from track to track without slowing down for more than a couple of songs along the way. There are only a couple of filler tracks, and they aren't bad, just plain. The instrumentation is great, the lyrics have improved and the vocals are good as well. It's impossible not to get positive energy from listening to this. Songs like "Love Has a Diameter" and "Folding Stars" have beautiful lyrics, mixed with a majestically melodious sound. Then there is the majestic "9/15ths" which deserves a mention due to its unique Queen-like rock opera sound.

This is one of the most consistently great and varied alternative rock albums of 2007 and a beginning to a new and great era for the Scottish rockers.

With this record, Biffy officially leaves their Post-Hardcore sound (for the love of some, new fans specially, and the hate of their older ones), although there are still some traces of this sound, and a lot of experimentation (specially in the opening track "Living is a problem because everything dies").

Also some people might get reminded of the Foo Fighters with some bits of this record, although it's not my case, but a lot of people tend to compare the sound of this record with theirs.

Very energetic tracks (Living is..., Saturday Superhouse, Semi-Mental, etc.), Slower ones (As dust dances, Love has a diameter), and some interludes that eventually lead to the cathartic and somber 9/15ths. Along with Only Revolutions, for me this is the ideal album to get started with Biffy.

Best Track(s): Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies, As Dust Dances, Get fucked Stud (The last one the best)
Worst Track: Love has a Diameter (If I had to choose one)

Mixed feelings about this one. It has some great songs like Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies, Saturday Superhouse, 9/15ths and Machines but 4-5 tracks are quite skippable. The rest of the record shows Neil's improvement in songwriting. Overall a good listen but nothing more (Edited)

Always just short of something interesting. (Edited)