semisonic

Track Listing:
(Click for lyrics)

1- Chemistry (Wilson)

2- Bed (Wilson)

3- Act Naturally (Wilson)

4- She's Got My Number (Wilson)

5- Follow (Wilson)

6- Sunshine & Chocolate (Wilson)

7- Who's Stopping You (Wilson, Munson)

8- I Wish (Wilson)

9- One True Love (Wilson and Carole King)

10- Get A Grip (Wilson)

11- Girlfriend (Slichter)
(UK Bonus Track)

12- Ordinary Life (Wilson)
(UK Bonus Track)

13- Surprise (Wilson)

14- El Matador (Slichter)

UK Chemistry single B-Side:

Over My Head (Wilson)

Semisonic's third full length album, was greeted almost universally with open arms and warm reviews. Q magazine gave it 5 stars, something it had not done for 4 years, and only recently awarded REM's Reveal the same accolade (not bad company). The first single Chemistry received wide UK airplay, yet unfortunetley only reached No.38 in the charts. The next single will be Get A Grip, a song about...well...figure it out yourself, but it should do better than Chemistry because of its summer sound (but I thought Chemistry was!).

It is hard to decide whether the album varies only slightly or majorly from the sound of FSF. The catchy beats are there along with the melodic downbeat tracks, but the way in which they are orchestrated is totally different. For example, Chemistry and Act Naturally wouldn't seem totally out of place on FSF, but Sunshine & Chocolate along with Who's Stopping You is a new strain of sound. However the tracks that really catch your attention are a mix of both styles. She's Got My Number with its heavy drum bass and piano really catches your attention and its wonderful lyrics hold it. Another such example appears halfway through the album in the form of I Wish. It has to be the best track on the album, with its frankly amazing 5 minutes jam session at the end. Some criticised the guys for putting this in, instead of saving it for live shows (a la If I Run),

however I applaud them for it, as it shows another instance of the guys stretching out into new areas and succeeding.

In the UK and Europe, it was the success of Secret Smile on FSF which launched the band, and AAC has its very own Secret Smile in the form of One True Love. Co-written by Carole King, and along with Act Naturally, Dan really has succeeded in what he set out to do: to create an album from the perspective of a group of friends conversing about old times (unlike FSF which was the exact opposite ie, one person whispering to another). The song itself is about wanting to leave a party "all alone with one true love", something I'm sure many can relate to.

The UK version includes an extra 2 bonus tracks (no, not a reward for loyalty, but instead a shameless monetary exploitation by UK record stores): Girlfriend and Ordinary Life. While neither are in any way bad, it is very easy to notice after a few runs through of the album, that these two songs just don't quite fit into the overall sound.

The album closes on Jake Slichter's amazing El Matador for which I believe he arranged the string section himself (no mean feat by any standards!). Introduced by a wonderful bass and piano, it soon runs into an excellent accoustic guitar and Dan's voice compliments the mood perfectly (as in Gone To The Movies or California).

This album has something for everyone, buy it.