Hey, everyone, Powerstars here. Everclear is a very love it or hate it band. Most people only know them from the few hits they had, like Santa Monica and Father Of Mine, but whether or not these were good songs? Quite a point of contention for fans of '90s music. Frontman Art Alexakis's decisions in recent years, namely continuing the band after all the original members quit, and starting up a '90s nostalgia tour featuring themselves as well as other '90s alternative bands with few hits have led to people accusing him of being a sellout, an accusation that I agree with on some level. But, let's not talk about this Everclear. Let's talk about this Everclear. Specifically, their fourth album, Songs From An American Movie Volume 1: Learning How To Smile. Whew, that's a mouthful! Anyways, as the name implies, this album is the first part of a duo of albums, the second part being called Songs From An American Movie Volume 2: Good Time For a Bad Attitude. Why weren't they just a double album. Well I mean, the frontman WAS Art Alexakis. Anyways, this album is a bit of an oddity in the Everclear catalouge. You see, they're an alternative/post-grunge band, and this album is influenced by...'70s pop music of all things. But fear not, it wasn't a sellout move designed to get them on the radio, though it did. No, it's moreso because Art, and to a lesser extent, bassist Craig Montoya, and drummer Greg Eklund grew up with such music, and a recurring theme through this album and it's followup is that of nostalgia. In fact, "AM Radio" is basically a full-blown tribute to the '70s, complete with a sample from "Mr. Big Stuff."
The other main theme through both these albums is that of failing relationships, as Art was going through his second divorce at the time. This resulted in what may be Everclear's most successful single, "Wonderful," which is the divorce shown through the eyes of his daughter. It's truly a heartbreaking song, and probably one of the best lyrically on the album. As I mentioned previously, the album is influenced by '70s pop music, and "Wonderful" represents the softer side. The title track, "Learning How To Smile," which I find to be criminally underrated also showcases this softer side of the band. The violins are beautiful, and when they add the electric guitars to it, it almost reminds me of the music from Sonic Adventure. Yes, nerdy comparison I know, but trust me, that IS a compliment. It's truly beautiful, and you can even rock to it a little bit. Another great song include "The Honeymoon Song," which was actually written by drummer Greg Eklund rather than Alexakis, who wrote the bulk of every other song on the album, and most of Everclear's catalouge. All the other songs are pretty good too, with some favorites being "Unemployed Boyfriend" and "Thrift Store Chair."
However, this album is not without it's problems, the biggest of which being that a lot of the lyrics are pretty laughable. Heck, the lyrics to "Annabella's Song," which, musically, is a heartwarming, lushly orchestrated ballad, are actually pretty creepy. Even the music isn't perfect, because when they try to have some harder rocking moments, it ends up sounding sterilized and watered-down. But, if you're willing to look past the ocassionally bad lyrics, and don't mind the pop-oriented sound, you might like this album. I'd reccomend giving it at least one listen. Anyways, this is Powerstars out. Peace MB!