Everything to Everyone

by

Barenaked Ladies

Edit

You could almost say that a pop band over a decade old has no right to be releasing such a strong and [shudder] mature album as Everything to Everyone. Or you could just be glad they're still capable of doing what they do so well. After all it's only a small step from silly to cartoonish, or witty to overblown, or sugary/catchy to fluffy. BNL have assembled one of the most impressive pop catalogues around not only by having a knack for funny radio-friendly singalongs, but by usually walking that line without tipping too far to the wrong side. The lyrics are clever and often humorous, but only cross into self-parody if it's intentional. They can be serious and they can be wacky.. but most of all they can laugh at themselves right along with the rest of us.

After their last two offerings Maroon and Stunt (which are also mostly strong picks) the Ladies put a good helping of time and effort into E2E, and it shows. The result is that intriguing rarity: a strong pop record that benefits from being grown over time with good attention to detail. It's got enough hooks and irresistible choruses that it'll snag your ears right away, but there's a freshness & staying power underneath the hummability. The usual goofiness that's been a BNL trademark since "If I Had $1000000" coexists nicely with the likes of "War on Drugs" and "Have You Seen My Love," which are lovely ballads almost as simple and honest as you could ask for.. a skillful balance that only the best pop (think Ben Folds or Kevin Gilbert) achieves.

The sound is nicely varied without losing the sense of fun. "Another Postcard" is a semi-fast chant that's almost half rap (all the more silly considering that such lyrics aren't usually about, say, chimps in swimsuits). "Upside Down" is driven by a sinuous middle-eastern melody on accordion, which would be nutty enough to fit the absurdist lyrics even if they didn't toss in some screwy odd time changes. "For You" has a tinge of country; "Next Time" would almost be a sweet 60s-style waltz if the words weren't so cynical; "Shopping" shoots directly for the realm of mindless synth/techno and then overshoots, becoming something even more ridiculous. And for that song it's precisely what belongs.

Any one of their last three offerings is a great choice, whether you're new to the band or not, but I say this is the pick of the bunch. Who knew maturity could still be so much fun?

I originally came to bury this album, not to praise it. Upon first listening to it, my disgust was unbounded. Could this pathetic dreck be from the same band that produced "Maroon" and "Stunt", two desert-island albums of which pretty much every song is great? However, with additional listening, it kind of grows on you. It's not up to the standards of their best albums, and it contains several embarrassing tracks, like the stupid, trying-too-hard-to-be-whimsical "Another Postcard", but it's got some pretty good ones too, i.e. "War on Drugs", "Maybe Katie", "Have You Seen My Love?" All in all, it's a good, fun album in the BNL tradition.