Summer Girl

by

Smash Mouth

Edit

As a fan of Smash Mouth since their first release, I had all but given up on them. My interest began to wain with their 3rd self titled release where they had taken their surf rock sound and made a full album of it, as opposed to the great mix of rock on the previous 2 albums. Get The Picture, the bands 4th full length, passed me by after one listen as it was even more diluted than its predecessor. Upon hearing that they were releasing a christmas album I thought the band I had loved from the first 2 albums had gone forever.

HOW WRONG I WAS

On the off chance that I was wrong, I decide to give them one more chance after I heard they were trying to go back to their roots of an all out rock sound. While not as good as their debut, it is easily on par with Astro Lounge. Tracks like So Insane, Getaway Car and Hey LA are easily some of the best pop rock songs I've heard all year.

If you loved early Smash Mouth. I'd recommend checking this one out, you won't regret it!

I have to hand it to Smash Mouth for enduring as long as they have. They committed artist suicide when they allowed themselves to become film score cliches by including their music in too many films to mention here.

However, each Smash Mouth album has had its merits. "Summer Girl" is their fifth album, and it comes with a few changes such as their first release on their own record label, Beautiful Bomb, which is great. Also, they somehow dug up 80's gem Robbie Nevil to co-write "Everyday Superhero" and "Story Of My Life", two of the best tracks on "Summer Girl".

Do Smash Mouth return to "Fush Yu Mang" or "Astro Lounge"? No. Does the band significantly experiment with their sound? No. "Summer Girl" is typical Smash Mouth, short, sweet, to the point, and clocking in at 31 minutes and 28 seconds. This album is upbeat and deals with typical Smash Mouth topics such as evolution, being average, global warming, girls and just living life and getting through day to day. Lead singer Steve Harwell lost his child in 2001, so he knows something about struggling and getting by, which gives "Summer Girl" the added depth to keep it afloat.

Still, with their own record label, and working with other song writers, I expected more from Smash Mouth this time around, yet what I got was the same old Smash Mouth. I guess they don't really want to find a new audience even though their old audience has pretty much abandoned them. What does Smash Mouth have to lose at this point by making a bold new artistic statement? Perhaps next time. I like these guys, and there could be a comeback just around the corner, but "Summer Girl" isn't quite it.