One of the biggest complaints about Phenomenon was with songs such as Bounce, Rawkfist and Ordinary, which lacked any real lyrical depth. This issue has disappeared for the most part on The Art Of Breaking. Do not fret, however, if you enjoyed those tunes for the mere fact that were great songs to rock out to. Though the lyrics are deeper on most of the songs, the music is still there, and there is even a very Bounce-esque song lyrically found in Move. In fact, the choruses to Bounce and Move are eerily similar and could cause an uproar about TFK having a lack of creativity in their lyrics.
But look around the rest of the disc and be impressed. The title track offers some pretty decent lyrics and some solid music. The lead single, Absolute, is actually quite addicting (though the attempt at screaming during the chorus does bring the song down a few notches). Songs like Stranger and Make Me A Believer also offer the music expected on a TFK disc with lyrics that may actually impress. It looks as though these boys have done some growing in their fame.
Not all the tracks are great, though. Hand Grenade specifically is probably the worst track on the disc, because it is lacking pretty much everything. The music's alright, but not great, and the lyrics are just kind of average at best. It is that one track on most every disc that brings the entire disc down a few notches.
However, this is one of the few flaws on the disc. Tracks like Hurt offer great music with some of the best lyrics given on the disc. And, once again, arguably the best track on the disc comes when they slow it down and let the lyrics do their thing. The Art Of Breaking closes with Breathe You In, simply one of the most well-written songs TFK has ever done. The music is soft and simple and is smartly kept out of the way. The lyrics hit their marks perfectly and give way for an absolutely superb ending to this disc.
Overall, TFK continues to improve their music and, because of that, gain more fans. The Art Of Breaking offers listeners a chance to rock out early and often, but wisely stays away from the tracks that don't really offer anything lyrically (most of the time). And they once again pull off the one slow track on the disc to near perfection. They have indeed outdone themselves this time, and that will likely translate into some solid (and well-deserved) numbers in both sales and radio play.