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Since Deluxe was actually a
re-release for Elektra, Friction, Baby actually Better
Than Ezra's label debut, and boy what a difference. By this record,
the band had honed its sound and become tighter than ever, surprising
since this album also debuts Travis McNabb on drums for the first time.
First single off the album, King of New Orleans delivers with a
kick; a high energy tune filled with everything a pop music fan could ask
for, once again setting the bar extremely high for the rest of the album.
R3wind continues to deliver from the
first bars, "Cut a tape of my favorite songs..." Gone are the dated
sounds, and all ties to the 80s with this song. This is the perfect tune
to drive though the country, music blaring, top down, singing at the top
of your lungs...loving life. The ride continues with the high quality,
high energy Long Lost. This shows quite a bit of growth since
Surprise and thanks should be given to producer Don Gehman. It
is also apparent that McNabb adds much to the energy through lively
and powerful percussion.
Normal Town changes up the feel with a
groovy back beat and funky, FX heavy bass, revealing Tom Drummond as the
outstanding bass player he is. This song also features, the now famous,
flute accompaniment making for an amazing composition. Scared are You?
slows things down a little, but has a mixed effect on the record. A
down beat ballad is perfect for track five ideally, but with such powerful
opening songs, Scared are You? is a little bit of a letdown,
regardless of how wonderful the song may be. Its a necessary evil as
another high energy tune would further the disappointment of going down
beat.
Return of the Post Moderns is a bridge
between the slow and high energy song because it combines the two aspects
in a single song making for an interesting listen. Hung the Moon
shows just how unpredictable Better Than Ezra is. Casual fans may
question, "What the crap?", but I believe this is a musician's song by
just how divergent the verse is from the chorus.
Desperately Wanting is the trio's
biggest hit off the album. Once again, BTE uses every element of
pop song craft to perfection. The dynamics build to a breaking point,
making you want to crank up the stereo and tick off your neighbors.
Amazing.
Still Life with Cooley, WWOZ,
and Happy Endings are all decent songs, but Speeding Up to Slow
Down is another gem similar to Deluxe's Porcelain.
At Ch. Degaulle, etc. rounds out the album as an outstanding
instrumental, something of a tradition. If you look hard enough for it,
you might find the hidden track, Mejor de Ezra. Good luck.
This album displays an obvious dichotomy
within the band. On one side, BTE is an incredible pop rock band;
the other side shows the group as talented musicians willing to
experiment. Pop fans for Good will ultimately love most of this
album to pieces. As with Deluxe, the rest takes a while to
grow on you, but this is a fabulous record. It should also be noted that
Normal Town was later re-mixed and released on the soundtrack for
American Werewolf in Paris.
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