Blue October continue their post–grunge whinefest on Approaching Normal, which actually approaches intolerable. Singer Justin Furstenfeld packs enough melodrama into "Weight of the World" to shame Bono and Meat Loaf combined. Over a spare martial beat, Furstenfeld's clenched–teeth vocals might make for decent tragicomedy if not for self–indulgent pathos like "I stole the pillowcase to clean this mess I've made of someone's dream." He growls out a torture fantasy in "Dirt Room" and gets sensitive on "My Never." But even Furstenfeld's pleas for redemption in "Blue Skies" can't stop this downward spiral.