Spoiler: Everclear did not die. After a few years of producing under-the-radar work and a “Best Of” album, this five-piece ’90s wonder from the Pacific Northwest launched an 11-track album, titled In a Different Light and comprised of new recordings of songs you may remember.
Vocalist Art Alexakis, the only member who has remained since the band’s birth in 1992, begins the album by singing the rhythmically-catchy tune of “Everything to Everyone,” originally from the 1997 album So Much for the Afterglow. Listen more closely and it becomes clear Alexakis’ lyrics in the track get the album off to a captivating start. He paints a picture of a person who strives to please everybody, and thus comes across fairly shallow. He sings, “Spin around and fall down/ Do it again/ You stumble and you fall/ Yeah, why don’t you ever learn … Come on now/ Do that stupid dance for me” and mocks this person’s behavior with a humorous, sarcastic tone.
Once the listener’s attention has been grasped, the album continues with the band’s classic hit “Wonderful” from 2000’s Songs from an American Movie. The lyrics in the song describe one child’s painful experience dealing with his parents’ divorce, but the major tone of the song provides an air of optimism that keeps the listener hooked.
The clever title of the album speaks volumes about the purpose of this compilation. Not only does this set of songs force the listener to think of the band “in a different light,” but the songs Alexakis chose have lyrics that generally speak of life situations to which listeners can easily relate. Following “Wonderful” are songs “Santa Monica” and “Summerland” — fun, upbeat, windows-down-type songs.
A slight change of tone appears with “Here Comes the Darkness,” “Father of Mine” and “Fire Maple Song.” In the first song, Alexakis sings of making a mistake, realizing he was wrong and understanding there will be serious consequences to follow. He sings, “Here comes the darkness again/ Gonna spend some time in hell with my friends/ Here comes the darkness again/ I’ve got no one to blame but myself.” The next is a bitter account of a fatherless childhood; the third is just plain angry and nostalgic.
The tone changes for one last time with the final three songs of the set, beginning with “Rock Star,” an upbeat song very typical of the band, followed by “Learning How to Smile,” another optimistic, fun piece. Lastly, in the popular “I Will Buy You a New Life,” Alexakis sings of promises to help someone. In the chorus, he sings, “I will buy you a garden/ Where your flowers can bloom/ I will buy you a new car/ Perfect, shiny, and new/ I will buy you that big house/ Way up in the west hills.” A fan favorite, this song helps the album come to a close and keeps a good taste in the listener’s mouth.
Aside from the few massive hits (“Wonderful,” “Father of Mine” and “I Will Buy You a New Life”), though, regular listeners may not experience the same familiarity that the “diehards” might. However, with In A Different Light, Everclear gives listeners a chance to rediscover them artistically.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
