Track Listing
1. When it all goes wrong again 2. Slide 3. Babytalk 4. Rock star 5. Short blonde hair 6. Misery whip 7. Out of my depth 8. The good witch of the north 9. Halloween Americana 10. All f*cked up 11. Overwhelming 12. Song from an American movie pt. 2 Year: 2000 Label: Capitol - Offical Site |
Everclear - 'Songs from an American movie volume II: Good time for a bad attitude ' - By A. Duff
Everclear�s grunge roots have been abandoned for their 5th album, �Good Time for a Bad Attitude�. However, this is no bad thing since unlike their earlier albums this one is very diverse and really works. The album kicks off with a great track, �When It All Goes Wrong Again�. The build-up in the first few seconds heralds the style of the rest of the album and then the first chords hit you and you know immediately that Everclear have just made another good album�.. �Slide� begins with �sliding� sound effects (as you would expect) and then follows the usual formula of a few lines of lyrics followed by a climax to a guitar riff. This formula has always worked for Everclear and although this can get a little boring as it did in some of the earlier albums, the band has progressed and the second half of this piece moves away from this style. �Babytalk� is again unusual for Everclear. This offering is actually approaching rap backed with intermittent bass playing. The track reaches a high with the renditions of �they�ve got him by the balls� followed by �which brings us back to Spike� and loses it a little towards the end. Having said that, this track gives a nice touch of something different to the album as a whole. The first time I listened to this album as a whole my favourite track was �Rock Star� although the more I�ve listened to it the more I�ve changed my mind. It is a very upbeat, fun track with some good instrumental work but uses a very pop-like formula of verses and chorus followed by key-change. If you�re looking for serious music, then don�t look at this track - but its pretty good to listen to all the same. The album changes direction at this point with the quieter track �Short Blonde Hair�. The first minute or so is nothing special but as the track progresses it becomes far better and eventually trails off nicely. �Misery Whip� is one of my favourites because it�s a bit different: it doesn�t follow Everclear�s usual formula at all. However, it does have the build-up that is typical of a lot of their work and this is used to great effect backed onto a repeated guitar lick that is used at the climax in a heavier form. The track then finishes unexpectedly which is also a nice touch. And now for something completely different� �Out Of My Depth� seems very unexpected on this album. It begins (and ends) with a whistling tune and then proceeds to what is practically a vocal solo before the instruments are brought in. The later parts of the track are then very much orientated towards instrumental � especially guitars. This track may seem strange but it really seems to work. �The Good Witch Of The North� is another quiet track which has all the elements that make up Everclear without any of the heavy instrumental parts. All bands aim to make a track like this � the track works purely on their talent and not on the quality of their equipment. The rest of the album is again different and unlike many albums the later tracks on this album are good in their own right. �Halloween Americana� is an instrumental track that relies on Alexakis�s guitar skills to work its effect. Because it contrasts with the last track it sounds better when the album is played in sequence, and the ending of the track is quieter which gives the next track � �All F*cked Up� � more impact. �All F*cked Up� gave this album Everclear�s first parental guidance sticker and, yes, the title is a good guide to the lyrics. This track is heavy compared to much of Everclear�s music and quite frankly, I�m not sure what it�s inclusion on the album was supposed to achieve. It doesn�t do anything wrong, but then again it doesn�t really do much right either. The album picks up again with �Overwhelming� which is another softer track. This track is not really anything special but I personally like the middle section with the rhythmic bass playing. Following this is the title song of the album � �Song From An American Movie�. The opening of this track is superb as is the line �The only thing that ever made sense to me/Are the words of a song from an American movie�. The track ends the album as a whole on a good note. All in all, this album is unlike any of Everclear�s earlier albums in that it does not use the same grunge-derived formula or any of the same styles. However, it has original style and ideas and in my opinion is the best of their albums due to this. If you like the heavier metal I would not recommend this album to you but if you like any softer music at all then you will like this album. Metal Obsessive Grade: 80% |