Customer Reviews

So Much for the Afterglow

5 star:		(319)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Everclear has done it again, producing another fantastic album full of remarkable tracks. So Much for the Afterglow captures senses of bitterness, anger, scorn, sadness, and longing as only an album by Art Alexakis and Everclear can. Each song has a distinctly 'Everclear' sound, which, the first time through might make it a tad difficult to distinguish some songs from others, but on repeated listens it becomes clear that every song is a gem.

Each song tells a story, a story of a brutal childhood in a dysfunctional family, of love that is anything but a fairy tale, of lost and broken Hollywood dreams. The truly amazing thing about this album is the fact that these stories aren't banal and tired. Alexakis really does make them personal stories, about real flesh and blood people. He tells these people's stories, some are his, some are of people he knows, some he's even made up, and each one has the power to make you really listen, to empathize with these people, to understand what Alexakis is trying to relate to you. It's an amazing album to listen to when you're down. It's incredibly cathartic to listen to these stories that are unpolished, rough, gutsy and real. This isn't some overproduced, syrupy album. It cuts deep and you'll find yourself listening to it again and again.

This album from Everclear had all the makings of failure. The lyrics and music are sometimes too similar to SPARKLE AND FADE, and of course alternative rock bands usually never succeed with their follow up to a breakthrough release. This went against the trends though because in the end, it's just a great collection of songs that are hard to dislike. Alexakis does tend to repeat himself with the negative subjects dominating almost every song, but at least he's singing about something he knows and cares about. Nothing here has the immediate impact of "Santa Monica" at first listen, but I found myself hooked to tracks like "Everything To Everyone," "One Hit Wonder," and "Father Of Mine" in no time at all. As on SPARKLE AND FADE, it's again obvious that Alexakis cares about the lyrics he has written and his emotion never falters throughout. It seems that "I Will Buy You A New Life" is the only questionable song here as it broods with arrogance in my mind, but as far as the slower tracks are concerned anyway, "White Men In Black Suits" is one of the best offerings here with its expressive content and delicate pace. Everclear has established themselves as a force with SO MUCH FOR THE AFTERGLOW and my guess is they'll sound basically the same on their upcoming releases, which is fine with me.

This is CD is extremely different, creative and genius. When I first bought it, I was so overwhelmed by its superiority that I could barely pick up the subtle undertones. Some CD's you can pick them up, listen to them hear everything and be through with it. This CD is not like that I promise. It won't fill you up or let you down. You'll always be hungry for more.

The lyrics take some time to digest. Even songs like, "I Will Buy You a New Life" are saying things without saying them. I order to fully understand them you need Sparkle and Fade and World of Noise. This CD is a little bit more clearly laid out than their previous CD. It's funny how the song may sound uplifting on first glance; the songs may sound uplifting. Good old Art can always make you feel like things might be better in a different world, though.

So Much For The Afterglow has a bit of a different sound to it. The guitars are a bit lighter, but still well used. The key difference, is the use of horns, strings and keyboards to give the album a bit of a richer, more pop feel to it. If your look for good old Everclear goodness, although you can always crank up "El Distorto de Melodica".

In conclusion, this CD is diverse and great. Everclear still takes the prize for greatest artist ever. Way to go Art, Craig and Greg, I look forward to your next effort. IF YOU ARE EVER LOOKING FOR A THERAPY SESSION POP IN SOME EVERCLEAR! (it always works for me)

P.S. sorry it took me so long to get this review up. I wanted to give myself ample digesting time, because of its complex sounds and lyrics.

Art saved my life. I totally relate to everything he sings and he's one of the most honest singers ever. He's also got a fantastic turn of phrase. Lyrics are completely unconventional. My favorite line of the CD is from a song called "Normal Like You" it's "Just because you are Neurotic and Depressed doesn't mean that you're sad." It's very true. No one understands that unless you have gone through it. Have a bad break up? Listen to Everclear. Have a crappy childhood but don't want to whine about it? Listen to Everclear. Just pissed off and had a bad day? Listen to 'em.

This is one of my favorite albums. I'm not really a big fan of "Songs From an American Movie", but this album is just unbelievable. "So Much For the Afterglow" is probably my favorite, simply because of the mood it is able to capture in me. "I Will Buy You a New Life", "California King" and "Sunflowers" are definitely also favorites.

Every once in a while, I forget about it, and then I put it into the cd player and I remember how wonderful it really is. It's a good cheer-up album for me--and it pretty much works for any occasion for in-car rocking.

If I could give it more than five stars, I definitely would.

When 'So Much For The Afterglow' was released Everclear were known for their upfront rock approach that was intense and full of emotion. Alexakis had built himself as a story-teller on his previous work, but Afterglow is probably the pinnacle of his story telling abilities.
We have an array of stories/themes, such as a broken friendship, a deadbeat father, a recovering drug addicted teen, and much more to offer. Now, some artists could not get away with writing a song about a one hit wonder rock artist, but Everclear pulls it off quite well. It seems like every song on this album is expertly executed, mainly in due to Alexakis's knack for writing lyrics.
The music on this album is definitly more melodic, and lighter, but Everclear do rock pretty loud at times. Sure, we don't get the intensity of 'Heroin Girl' or the loud "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore", but we do get well written songs with dare I say better lyrics than Sparkle and Fade?
I won't fool you; the production on this album is slick. Very slick. Slick as vaseline. We get a mixture of layered guitars, vocals and stringed instruments (some orchestral), with a few bells and whistles here and there, but for the most part it's for the better.
Everclear's sophmore release may not be as loud, instense, or as passionate as it's predacessors, but it's still an excellent album that expands Everclear's sound and sets the stage for later albums to come.

Although i always kept switching genres of music throughout my life i always loved alterntive rock and have listened to everclear for most of my young life, all throughout junior high school to now (21) And owning every record from them i felt that this is one of their finest and give it 5 stars even though my favs are "world of noise" and "sparkle and fade" A very solid album from beginning to end, i dont mind the fillers either i definately reccomend to new everclear fans

The thing with Everclear is that they were never cool. Art Alexakis was in his 30s and had already lived the rock star life and settled back down to being a father. Even when the band was on the cusp of stardom and the blonde hair, black goatee was in after "Santa Monica," most critics thought it was a one-time thing.

Alexakis was too old to become a superstar. His music was done before.

But the thing is, the stories he tells weren't. "Father of Mine" is the perfect example. He wrote a song about a deadbeat dad, about the brewing hatred he held for his own father, about the pain he had suffered with his whole life. And he wrote about dead relationships with women on the wrong side of sanity while he teetered on the edge in "Normal Like You." He responded to his critics, not allowing "the monster" to get him in "One Hit Wonder."

He writes about himself, his teen years, and his need to once be "Everything to Everyone." He writes about love being found at the exactly wrong time in "I Will Buy You a New Life."

Critics have said that on the first album, an artist has all the time in the world to make, he has his whole life. The second album, you have two years, while you're touring, leading to songs about lust and road weariness. Everclear didn't follow that formula because Alexakis's longer life allowed him more time and more experience to divulge his scars.

And Alexakis divulges his scars better than any performer who has tried to do so since (Nickelback, Staind, Saliva), probably because he doesn't focus on loud, but rather on melody and intensity.

And that is why "Father of Mine" is the best song in the deadbeat father catalogue and this is one of the best albums in the post-grundge era.

"I hate those people who love to tell you money is the root of all that kills,
they have never been poor - they have never had the joy of a welfare Christmas!"

"You say they taught you how to read and write, yea they taught you how to count,
I say they taught you how to buy and sell your own body by the pound
I think you like to be the simple toy, I think you love to play the clown
I think you are blind to the fact that the hand you hold is the hand that holds you down."

"They might make you think you're happy, yeah, maybe for a minute or two
but they can't make you laugh, no they can't make you feel the way that I do."

This is an album by a master song-writer and an amazing band. It's actually personal - unlike some of those bands that just float along the top of the issues they're singing about, these guys actually get into the feelings and the issues so that you feel them too. It's so hard to pick favorite tracks, because they've all got special meanings to me - they will to you as well very quickly, unless you've lived in a box your whole life! "Everything to Everyone" is great, I love "I Will Buy You a New Life", "Amphetamine" is brilliant, and "Sunflowers" is just as amazing... Buy it so you know what I mean!!

One of the best albums I own. All the songs that made it to the radio are good, but as usual the radio goons missed the best songs on yet another album. Amphetamine and why i don't believe in god are probably the 2 best songs on the album. The opener, also the album title, is a great way to open things up. When the intro starts you are thinking to yourself, what the hell did i buy? But when the song kicks in Everclear starts rocking. This is a must buy