Uplifter is the ninth studio albumbyAmerican rock band 311, released on June 2, 2009 by Volcano Records. It is the band's first album in nearly four years, the longest gap between albums in 311's career. Uplifter was produced by Bob Rock, who has produced or engineered albums by numerous notable acts, such as Metallica, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, The Cult, Our Lady Peace and The Offspring. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, their highest position to date.[5]
| Uplifter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | June 2, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Studios (Burbank, California) | |||
| Genre |
| |||
| Length | 46:54 (Standard Edition) 56:00 (Deluxe Edition) | |||
| Label | Volcano Entertainment | |||
| Producer | Bob Rock | |||
| 311 studio album chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Uplifter | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| IGN |   [2] |
| LiveDaily | Favorable[3] |
| Ultimate Guitar | (4.8/10)[4] |
The first single from the album, "Hey You", was sent to radio stations for airplay on April 7, and was officially released April 10, 2009.
Before the official release date, Uplifter was streamed in full (including the deluxe edition tracks) on the band's MySpace page and was featured on Playlist.com.[6][7]
Uplifter has received mixed reactions from critics. Andrew Leahey of Allmusic gave it a generally favorable review and said that Uplifter "...[wields] a polished mix of tour-worthy anthems and lighter-hoisting ballads that seem destined to fare better in concert than on record."[1]
It has received criticism as well. Talking about the lyrics, Laina Dawes of Consequence of Sound said, "...don’t look for any insightful wisdom here. ... Then again, how important are lyrics in this genre, or even this modern day age of Britney Spears and Lady Gaga? In comparison to that schlock, this is pure poetry."[8]
Colin Moriarty of IGN reviewed each of the songs from Uplifter one-by-one. He said that while some show 311 maturing musically, there are still songs for the hardcore fans. Moriarty noted that his favorite song from the album was "Get Down," saying, "311 songs with a message and a hard-hitting rap-rock sound have become increasingly rare since the days of Soundsystem and From Chaos, and Get Down is certainly a welcome addition to Uplifter's roster of songs."[2]
The Record Review noted "that after a couple of somewhat lackluster releases (2003’s Evolver and 2005’s Don’t Tread On Me) and a subsequent extended break, 311 has returned with a record that is full of life."[9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey You" | Nick Hexum, SA Martinez | Nick Hexum, SA Martinez | 3:56 |
| 2. | "It's Alright" | Hexum, Martinez, Aaron Wills | Hexum | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Mix It Up" | Hexum | Hexum | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Golden Sunlight" | Hexum, Tim Mahoney, Martinez, Chad Sexton | Hexum, Martinez | 4:30 |
| 5. | "India Ink" | Hexum | Hexum | 3:37 |
| 6. | "Daisy Cutter" | Hexum | Hexum | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Too Much Too Fast" | Hexum, Martinez | Hexum, Martinez | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Never Ending Summer" | Hexum, Sexton, Wills | Hexum | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Two Drops in the Ocean" | Hexum, Martinez | Hexum, Martinez | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Something Out of Nothing" | Hexum, Martinez | Martinez, Hexum | 4:25 |
| 11. | "Jackpot" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Hexum, Martinez | 3:54 |
| 12. | "My Heart Sings" | Hexum | Hexum | 4:23 |
| Total length: | 46:54 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "How Long Has It Been" (track 15 on iTunes deluxe edition) | Hexum, Martinez | Hexum, Martinez | 3:13 |
| Total length: | 50:07 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Sun Come Through" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Hexum, Martinez | 3:27 |
| Total length: | 50:21 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "I Like the Way" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Hexum, Martinez | 4:00 |
| 14. | "Get Down" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Hexum, Martinez | 5:06 |
| Total length: | 56:00 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Simplify" | Hexum | Hexum | 5:15 |
| 18. | "Week of Saturdays" | Hexum | Hexum | 3:22 |
Credits adapted from album’s liner notes.[10]
311
Additional Musicians
Production
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| USBillboard 200 | 3[11] | 60,000[5] |
| USBillboard Rock Albums | 2[11] | — |
| USBillboard Digital Albums | 3[11] | — |
| USBillboard Alternative Albums | 2[11] | — |
| Song | Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Hey You" | U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 3[12] |
| "Hey You" | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 38[12] |
| "Hey You" | U.S. Billboard Rock Songs | 17[12] |
| "It's Alright" | U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 16[11] |
| "It's Alright" | U.S. Billboard Rock Songs | 38[11] |