Finger Eleven has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.
This is probably because their most well-known song for quite a long time has been "Slow Chemical," and that's due to it being the theme song of the wrestler Kane; I'm not much of a wrestling fan myself, but liking this band would often lead to people putting two and two together and getting five, so I'd end up finding myself trapped in conversations about headlocks and turnbuckles that I knew nothing about.
Then, slowly but steadily, Finger Eleven began to gain some measure of mainstream acceptance beyond wrestling fans. This was unquestionably due to the release of their ballad "One Thing" on their self-titled album; this tune got major play on radio and television; I was even surprised one day to hear it as elevator Muzak.
The band rolled with it, and in 2007 released Them Vs. You Vs. Me, a far more conventional album which seems to be attempting to spread Finger Eleven's fanbase through catchy hooks and addictive lyrics.
The amazing thing is that it appears to have worked. The first single, "Paralyzer," will lodge itself in the listener's head, take up permanent residence and refuse to leave for days; the memorable underlying guitar riff and chorus seem to be designed for this sort of thing. The track comes off as unlike anything else I've heard Finger Eleven do -- it evokes Franz Ferdinand, of all things.
Other songs follow this trend, resulting in one of the best rock albums I've heard in years. Tracks such as "Falling On" and "Lost My Way" aren't groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but they're done so well that it's hard to dislike them. The album also manages to avoid any filler tracks; really, the whole thing is worth hearing and owning.
Aside from "One Thing," Finger Eleven might not be a household name for rock fans yet. After hearing Them Vs. You Vs. Me, I'm willing to wager that they're on their way up. This album doesn't redefine rock music; it doesn't have to, as it does the basics well enough to stand up for itself. Because of this, I'd recommend it to any rock fan.