Everclear
"Songs From an American Movie: Vol. Two: A Good Time For A Bad Attitude"
(Capitol)
Grade: C-
"Songs From an American Movie: Vol. Two: A Good Time For A Bad Attitude" has all the makings of an album, but leaves the listener wanting something more. The disc, Everclear's fifth album, is not a far stretch from the previous four. The band, still laden with old-school style, Vanilla Ice-like guitar riffs and lead singer Art Alexakis' angst-ridden lyrics, has not covered much ground since their last release in 1997, "So Much for the Afterglow."
"Vol. Two," the second and last album in the series, was released only four months after "Vol. One." Since the band's sophomore album "Sparkle and Fade" earned such acclaimed success, it seems that this latest release signifies Everclear's desperate attempt to keep its success alive, even at the risk of beating a dead horse.
The album as a whole is easy to listen to, but after closer inspection it is apparent that many of the tracks sound almost identical, with the exception of a different set of lyrics. This redundancy is especially apparent in the songs "Slide" and the title track "Song From an American Movie Pt. 2," which have the same guitar line.
It also seems that Alexakis has not been able to get past his childhood troubles - still writing endlessly about his life experiences. The recurring ideas and chord changes, found throughout all the band's albums, have become as tiresome as this past year's presidential election.
If this album could speak it would use a line from the song "Short Blonde Hair" and say:
"Just how simple and plain - and predictable I am."
