I've always liked SUGAR RAY, not because of deep lyrical meaning or outstanding musicianship or even taking their sound in one direction or another. For me, this is just plain "feel good" music. If I'm in a bad mood this is what I listen to and I always cheer up. "Sugar Ray" has a collection of songs with mostly positive lyrics, twinges of country twang thrown in here and there, the ska/rock feel they've always had and a little bit of hip-hop and reggae mixed in. Contrary to other reviewers I didn't find it a masterpiece, but it's good. The biggest complaint I have about the album is that many of the songs could be interchangeable. That's death on a band to me. Don't make an album where every song sounds almost the same, even if I enjoy listening to it in the background.

There are a few stand out tracks mixed in here and if you like feel good music the album is definitely worth buying. I've heard "Smash Mouth" described as good "beach music." SUGAR RAY probably plays the best "beach music" out there. The kind you like to hear on the radio through the lazy days spent at the beach hangin' out with your friends and kickin' back. There's even a song on this album about that very thing called "Under The Sun." I really like this song because the lyrics are so interchangeable. ". . . back in the day/ I'll always remember Run DMC/ And all of the good times we had/ Back on the beach . . ." It doesn't matter when or where you grew up, it's sort of an insert your own favorites and remember the fun back then or a month ago. This song has the most universal appeal I can think of. The melody is catchy, the chorus is pure rock & roll and it's a great tune.

"When It's Over" is the current single that's in heavy rotation on the radio and MTV. It's a slightly reminiscent of "Every Morning" from "14:59." The words are different of course, but the musical portion is a lot like this hit from the last album. "Answer The Phone" opens the album and is just good old garage rock. Nothing heavy duty, just fun.

About half-way through the album is a song called "Ours." This was other song that really caught my attention. It's about as close to a ballad as you'll find here, but the lyrics sure don't reflect that. The song is about "sharing" a girl so she becomes "ours." A rather interesting concept. DJ Homicide has probably his biggest role on this tune and Mark McGrath does patter over the scratch. "Sorry" is another one of those good "beach songs" musically, even though the lyrics are more serious. Some interesting effects and a noticeable reggae flavor are what hold "Stay On" up. This track stands out from the others because it's very different from the rest.

"Just A Little" is the song with the twangy guitars, although this is NOT in any way a country song. The steel guitar is for emphasis in the instrumental. As far as the melody, vocal, lyrics and instrumental on this tune, it's pretty much like the rest of the album, but the addition of the twang makes it more interesting.

The last track on the album, "Disasterpiece," is probably more original than any of the others. It's pure rock fun. There are great vocals and instrumentals, as well as noticeable backing vocals that aren't apparent on the other tracks. It was definitely a good choice to end the album with, because again it's a feel good song so you're left with that when the album is over.

If it seems like I bashed "Sugar Ray," I didn't mean to. I like the album and I play it often. It's just not real original in my opinion. Then again, too much originality can be a drag too. Summer's not over yet, so pick up this latest venture from SUGAR RAY and enjoy it!