Review: Welcome to the Drama Club

Fate must be trying to tell me something... while on the plane, out of 484 songs to shuffle through, iPod plays Everclear every other song. It also reminded me I need to post a breakdown of the latest Everclear album.

1. Under the Western Stars -- Starts off with a synthy cowpunk flair, but enough rhythm to make you rock. A song saying 'yeah, so we didn't work, but I have this new thing going that is looking good'. A decent opener, overall. By the end of the track, the guitars have you convinced it's a good song. "Hard promises broken, should've never been made."

2. Now -- starts acoustic, builds with layers. A testament to where Art is now, having come through the dark of soul-searching and emerging the other side. A great song. If it is released as the next single, I will be a happy girl. Truly optimistic and catchy enough for everyone to love. "This is where I wanna be now."

3. Shine -- Think "AM Radio" with just synth and handclaps. I'm not totally sure of the intent of this song. He indicates the exwife had duplicious intentions, yet so did he. So he just encourages her to "open up and show the world the freak inside." ??

4. Hater-- Art is marketing this single as "the breakup song of 2006." No, my brother... you gots to write a better song for that. Yeah, you're pissed at the exwife for not being the girl you thought she was going to be. Quit chasing after girls half your age, and you might find one that knows who she is. PS: dude, you're white. Don't try to rap (on the intro). PPS: Too much cowbell is NOT a good thing. I don't care what Will Ferrell says.

5. The Drama King-- Art strums "I wish there was an easier way to be in love." See previous age-appropriate comment. Meow! Overall, though... it's a great melancholy song. There's talk of it being the next single, which would be a good move several times over from "Hater"

6. Glorious -- Art reps his cowpunk past. "I was asleep when I was living the dream." This song totally reminds me of his second exwife (from the World of Noise and Sparkle and Fade era). Lots of references to starving artist days and young love. I'm guessing his wrote this to fulfill the 'make amends' stop of the Repairing Karma tour.

7. A Taste of Hell -- adorable (to a parent, at least) intro of kidlet rock-rapping. Overall, the song is really poppy, and damningly catchy. It's a two-can-play-that-game kissoff from Art to the last exwife. "You get what you pay for, you gonna own what you sell."

8. Portland Rain -- my absolute favorite song on the whole album. At first, I was upset they blantantly went for the Maroon 5 synth blues angle. Yet Art is sad, but not necessarily mad at the exwife. He has proven (time and again) to be a fairly simple man... give him an income to support those he loves, and a woman to satisfy his personal security needs... and he shall not want for much more.

9. A Shameless Use of Charm -- another Maroon-y pop rocker. It does have a fairly profound premise "they were looking for the easy way to have it all."

10. Clean -- Quasi cowpunk ballad for his adolescent daughter. (Again, from the parent perspective...) It is adorable. If the daughter didn't cry when she heard the finished version... she will years later, as a parent herself.

11. Broken -- Starts out with a twang, then layers in other music. This should be a single release, but I'm not holding my breath. The most cathartic songwriting on the album.

12. Your Arizona Room -- hope springs eternal for Mr. Alexakis. His divorce papers weren't likely dry before he's taken up with another girlfriend. And again, he is convinced he can make a fresh start to relationship success. Though now he's got God (thanked on the liner credits) on his side... oy!

Hidden Track-- Beautiful Dream, or The Good Life -- comes in about minute eight off track 12. A great bar song. The boys just playing and having a good time. Starts with the kidlet intro long version. A great song in a "Friends in Low Places" mindset.