After a 3 year hiatus from recording, Everclear, Billboard Magazine’s 1998 Modern Rock Band of the Year, has taken the "road less traveled" this year. They are releasing a two volume CD set, which, of course, isn’t unusual. What is unusual is that they are releasing these two volumes separately, within six months of each other this year. The first volume, "Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1/Learning How to Smile," was just released on July 11. The second volume, already titled "Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 2/ Good Time For A Bad Attitude," is scheduled for release in November.

Everclear is the best examples of a modern rock band that seamlessly blends past styles into the context of the present music scene. Volume 1 shows the other side of the band, or I should say, their core. In Volume 1, lead singer and songwriter, Art Alexakis, has taken a giant leap of faith. Given the fickle modern music audience’s tendency to want to hear the same sound from a band, CD after CD, Alexakis and the band have set themselves apart, both literally and figuratively. Everclear shows the current shock rock, take it to the limits of sanity, music scene where modern music came from and provides a lesson in what the early pop rock icons had in mind. Trust me, it wasn’t the painfully mindless glitz and glamour pop we hear today from the likes of Brittany Spears and those cookie cutter boy bands.

Alexakis, drummer Greg Eklund and bassist Craig Montoya show themselves equal to the challenge. Distancing themselves from their ‘world of noise’ and pounding rhythms, Volume 1 is a 1960’s influenced set of lighter sounding pop tunes. It blends the heady sounds of the ‘60’s – The Beatles, Van Morrison, "Pet Sounds" Beach Boys — with the emotional and personal lyrics of which Alexakis has become to be known. In fact, they cover Morrison’s "Brown-Eyed Girl" in their own unique style. Though the first single released from this CD, "Wonderful," has a similar, though more subdued, sound as some of their big winners from the last 2 CD’s, it’s a bit lighter and more pensive. It is surely not the definitive tune on this CD, and does not provide a sense for the depth and insight of the entire set. The 12 track CD is quite varied and conceptual.

Certainly, an ode to lost love, relationships, and times long gone in Alexakis’ life, Learning To Smile" also emotes the education gained from the search for meaning in the aftermath. The title track, "Learning to Smile," is a perfect blend of the soul-seeking energy of the band’s previous releases with a richness in patterns that harkens back to the heavy hitters of the late 1960’s. The CD snowballs with energy and life. The ninth track, "Otis Redding," is a smooth and soulful look at the past – ironically, simpler yet tougher times. It is a musical ode to classics, like Otis Redding, with the backing of classical violin.

Overall, the CD has a very cool, under-produced tone. In the context of previous Everclear CDs, there are more noticeable peaks and valleys in terms of noise level. Though it never quite reaches the intensity level of the past, the music maintains a consistently strong and passionate emotional level that is always transcendent. There are many standout tracks on this CD, but it needs to be taken as a whole. One needs to listen to the CD from beginning to end a few times to understand where any one of the tunes is aiming at. Everclear rocks with the best of today’s modern rock scene, but have the senses and style of the classy acts of the past. This CD certainly brings them more into that rock mainstream, and I think fans will appreciate what they’re doing here. However, I think fans will also welcome their upcoming, self-proclaimed, louder and more raucous Volume 2. Our car speakers are made for 2000, not the 1960’s.

- Dave Geller

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