What is the equation for having a hit album? Is it great guitar riffs, sage-like lyrics, energetic instrumentals or musical genius? Is it something more basic?
Is it emotion and passion? Semisonic seems to think its all about chemistry.
Perhaps not, but that is the name of their third studio release: All About Chemistry.
The band certainly knows how to create a hit song. “Closing Time,” off Feeling Strangely Fine, was a smash hit during 1998 and has enjoyed radio play everywhere from the bars to the Superbowl. Its beautiful lyrics, such as “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” spoke to all its listeners and coupled with its mellow rock-`n-roll sound, propelled the group into stardom.
This instant acclaim is the bane of all newly successful bands. The stigma of a one-hit wonder soon follows, and the next single will be scrutinized as heavily as a contestant in a beauty pageant.
is little wonder the Minneapolis-based group composed of Jacob Slichter on drums, John Munson on bass, and Dan Wilson on guitar and vocals, waited until now to offer their finished product.
“Chemistry” the first single off the album, has been receiving heavy play on the airwaves since January. The band’s multi-instrument ability is shown throughout the album as they continue their mellow rock flow from their two preceding albums.
The band’s sound resembles a mix between the now-defunct New Radicals, borrows some moodiness from the Moody Blues, and a psychedelic sound from Smashmouth.
The album flexes some musical muscle with a variety of everything from the classical guitar, bass, and drum combo to an electrically mixed track.
Wilson, vocalist and the award-winning songwriter of “Closing Time,” adds a relaxing tone to the album. On tracks like “Act Naturally” his soft voice almost seems to be serenading a loved one. However, many of the songs are anything but pleasant lullabies.
Songs like “Chemistry,” “Bed” and “Who’s Stopping You” are all about trying to gain lasting relationships, but ultimately getting burnt. Sprinkled throughout the album are clever lyrics that reflect this theme: “Take all that you’ve got, multiply by zero, divide by the time you’ve got left, that’s x. Add it up write it down, tell me what you’ve found.” The rest of the songs read like poetry-some songs, as their titles suggest, are looking for “One True Love,” while in others they simply want to “Get a Grip.”
The song “Sunshine and Chocolate” is a playful song that alludes back to a brief passionate love affair, but when it ended they simply wished each other sunshine and chocolate everyday. There are few people who would have a problem with that. This gives you a glimpse of some of the vibes that flow through the disc.
The first times you listen to the CD, it may seem a little weird. But after a few listens, the music starts to grow on you.
However, Wilson’s vocals strain at times, and it takes away some energy from the lyrics. He is relieved, mid album, by Munson, who adds refreshing sounds to the music as well.
The most enjoyable track comes at the end, “El Matador.” The song is written and sung by the drummer! It has a wonderfully solemn beat to it, with piano and guitar accompaniments. The song sings you through a wistful remembrance of a year past, and almost like a plea to his listeners, refrains, “Please don’t go away. Stay awhile, stay awhile.”
With music like this, I think we will. B+
