Published on Jul 11, 1999
Going into
Astro Lounge, the second album from recent alternative-rock
darlings Smash Mouth, I was a little apprehensive. After all, I had
yet to listen to their debut
Fush Yu Mang (a detail which is being taken care of thanks
to eBay’er Lyn Van Dusen), and I had been disappointed by the cover
of ? And The Mysterians’s “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby”. Was I
going to be expecting more of the retro-sounding rock that made
“Walkin’ On The Sun” so addicting? Was I going to be disappointed
by what I heard?
Fortunately, Steve Harwell and crew know how to hook the
listener in as well as to create their own unique sound without
relying on retro much. Thanks to the first official single “All
Star,” you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from
Astro Lounge. (“Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” was originally
brought to prominence in the movie
Can’t Hardly Wait.) If you like “All Star,” chances are
you’ll like
Astro Lounge – and I happened to like “All Star”.
The sci-fi sound to the album’s opener “Who’s There” disarms you
at first – the smooth delivery of the music (thanks to Harwell and
guitarist Greg Camp) sets the mood for a musical party, and for the
better part of 50 minutes, Smash Mouth delivers the goods.
“Diggin’ Your Scene” has a little taste of “Walkin’ On The Sun”
to it, but it’s by no means a clone; the fast-paced tempo of the
tune makes it one that will probably have you standing up and
dancing to. “Roadman” is a reggae-influenced track that has both
style and substance to it, and would be an excellent choice for a
follow-up single. And, of course, there’s “All Star,” the song that
has yet to reach oversaturation (like radio did with “Walkin’ On
The Sun”) that knows when to turn the adrenaline up and down.
This isn’t to say that
Astro Lounge is perfect; there are a few cracks on the walls
that need a little spackling. “Waste” is a little slow for my
tastes, though it’s not a terrible track by any means, and “Stoned”
is just a song I cannot get into, no matter how many times I listen
to the disc. It is a little hard to stay focused on the disc at
times, but eventually Harwell and crew draw the listener in with a
killer song (“Defeat You,” “Come On, Come On”).
As for “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby,” I still can’t say
honestly that I like this track, but I can at least sit through its
playing now. (It used to be that when this one came on, I actually
had to change the station on the radio.) It’s a weird choice of a
cover, but, hey, if you like it, more power to you.
Some people, I’m sure, were wondering if Smash Mouth were
destined to be one-hit wonders.
Astro Lounge answers that question with a resounding, “Hell,
no.” A truly fun album to listen to (even with the rare mistake),
this disc proves that Smash Mouth has the capability to be
hitmakers for a long time.