Ok!
Time to do a quick rap on the subject of "Sugar Ray" - the 2001 album by the
band of the same name. This one was lent to me by Joe, and has achieved
official status as the borrowed-for-longest-CD in the history of the review
section. Not because it's the best thing I've ever heard (though not bad by
any means), but more because every time I see the man, there are other
things on my mind and it gets left behind (digthat rhyme!).
A'right.
The Good - the CD has a fairly consistent sound, without many of the things being insanely better or worse than any of the others. This is something to shoot for, since when you have three amazing hits backed with nine mediocre filler-tracks, it severely cuts down on how well the album gels when you listen to it at full length (even if there aren't too many people who do that anymore, it still matters!). The performances on the disc are also good - as you would expect from a group who have obtained the sort of status (read: money/success) that Sugar Ray have. Songs in particular for the "What's Good" section would be: "Answer The Phone," "Under The Sun," Ours," "When It's Over," and "Disasterpiece". Six out of eleven is.....pretty good.
The Bad - okay, there's nothing really BAD on the disc (with the possible
exception of a guest appearance by Nick Hexum in the song "Stay On"), so
instead of "the bad" we'll just pretend this section is instead titled "The
Tepid."
As is usual when I listen to a modern pop/rock album, I take exception to
the lyrics presented here. They aren't really good...they aren't really
bad...they're just THERE, and they don't stand for much. They mostly deal
with girls/the beach. There's not very much artistry or poetry either, which
is a lot of nothing to endure for 45 minutes. My other gripe is the
production - the way the album was recorded. It sounds VERY sunkissed and
smooth - not a lot of power or dirt to it. And remember folks, you can't say
the word "rock" without saying the word "raw" at the same time, which leaves
me wondering why so many of today's bands are choosing such a shiny,
radio-friendly sound? It obviously sells, but it isn't always flattering.
Alright, that's my diatribe about "Sugar Ray" by the band...erm..Sugar Ray!
That's it for me.
Excuse me while I prepare for another nine hour Tony Hawk session. *cracks
knuckles*
By: J. Alexander Vance
