Everclear

For a long time, Everclear has been a well-known band, but they've never been a household name like Britney Spears or Ricky Martin. While their latest offering, Songs from an American Movie: Part 1, is by all rights a decent album, it's doubtful that this eleven-track collection will be enough to propel Everclear into the limelight.

The CD starts off with a surprisingly good intro song, which shares the name of the album. The CD remains pretty steady straight through, but never goes anywhere. No songs really stand out from the rest, and that includes their first single, Wonderful. Track 4 is a cover of Brown Eyed Girl. I first had hope upon seeing this, but within the first few seconds of listening, I could tell that the song is a letdown. As is the case with most remixes, the original is far better.

Track 5, Learning How to Smile, is a good track. I personally consider it to be the best on the album. But again, it's nothing that really sticks out as a potential number one hit. The closing track, Annabella's Song, is assumedly a dedication to Art Alexakis' (the lead singer) daughter. And might I add, it's incredibly sappy. But it's still good.

One big concern to potential buyers of this CD is the fact that a lot of beats seem to be recycled throughout. Many songs seem to have similar guitar work to those earlier on the set. It makes many of the songs sound repetitive, and in essence, makes the album seem lesser than it actually is. Another big concern is that the album cover looks like it was made by a guy with Photoshop and a small brain.

This album does live up to its title, though. The songs all seem as though they could easily fit into most American movies. By that, I mean they're sappy and fairly unoriginal. It seems as though Everclear has no more rants about their horrible childhoods, and have to resort to songs like these. Overall, I give Everclear's Songs from an American Movie: Part 1 3/5 stars.