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Everclear - Welcome to the Drama Club Audio CD

A fair review of the Everclear "Welcome to the Drama Club" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Everclear reviews here, or go back to the Everclear tabs.

Everclear Band: Everclear
Title: Welcome to the Drama Club
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-09-12
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Under the Western Stars 2: Now 3: Shine 4: Hater 5: Drama King 6: Glorious 7: Taste of Hell 8: Portland Rain 9: Shameless Use of Charm 10: Clean 11: Broken 12: Your Arizona Room

Great Everclear Recording
This album must have bern under promoted. This is a consistently fine album. If you like Everclear, I can't see how you wouln't enjoy this one 'cover to cover'. .


Another Classic
Even though you can tell his voice has changed a little it doesn't take away from there sound. This is yet another classic everclear album. Its very raw and in your face. The guys didn't give a crap what you thought about it. . and thats why its good. Welcome back everclear.


Lackluster Effort
The song writing is weak, though the music is fairly good. Following the renewed and applaudable effort of Slow Motion Daydream, Welcome to the Drama Club leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It seems that Alexakis is trying to hard to recapture the hard edged feel of early albums, but without the emotion to back it up.

Many of the songs will remind you of So Much for the Afterglow and the first volume of Songs from an American Movie, but empty shells of those efforts.

However, there are some gems on this album, such as Portland Rain, Under the Western Stars, Your Arizona Room, and the amazing song Glorious.

You're better downloading the mp3's of the highlights rather than purchasing the whole album.

Ranking this, it would be behind Slow Motion Daydream but light years ahead of the Everclear's weakest and most lyrically disappointing album, Songs from an American Movie Volume Two.


This drama club is capable of much better performances
But now that Art Alexakis has pretty much put together a new version of the band, they try to score once more with Welcome to the Drama Club. I lost a little bit of respect for Everclear after they released the Disney-ready "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" a few years ago.

Although I've never really been a TRUE fan of Everclear, I've pretty much appreciated everything they've done, whether it be harder material like "Santa Monica" and "When It All Goes Wrong Again" to more contemporary fare like "Wonderful" and "I Will Buy You a New Life". But this is one of those albums that seems to have an equal amount of good, bad, and okay songs. The best songs would have to be the first two tracks, "Under the Western Stars" and "Now". "Clean" is an interesting track that could possibly be words of encouragement to Art's daughter, and "Glorious" is pretty sunny.

As far as bad songs, the best example would have to be the lead single "Hater", where he says to his girl, "I don't wanna be with a hater like you any more" (don't you hate it when middle-aged people misuse slang?). The song is clearly about a bad relationship, and another song along those lines, "Taste of Hell", doesn't fare much better. "The Drama King" is average, but "Shine" is confusing because it's telling a woman not to give it up to men that want her only for her body -- while simultaneously telling her to have some self-worth and "show the freak inside". Isn't that giving it up?

I also think that the R&B-ish scratching break between "Your Arizona Room" and the hidden track "Beautiful Dream" serves no purpose. True, it's not the same Everclear, but that's not why the album isn't good; it's because the material is so uninteresting that you might want to avoid the drama by staying out of this club.

Anthony Rupert.


Different band, same direction
While the lyrics are the same familiar style of previous albums the music is more creative and less powerful than their previous work. With a new band lead singer Alexakis take the group in a slightly different musical direction. Still, when needed they punch out emotional and hard rocking songs like "Hater" and "Taste of Hell". I found this album really grew quickly, but it took a few listens. Unlike many who have reviewed their music I feel that they are getting better with every release, creative yet true to their style. Standouts for me are "Now", "Hater", "Drama King", "Glorious", and "Portland Rain". Each song is creative and brings something to the table. I remember cranking their music over 12 years ago in Seattle and it's nice to see them continue growing as a band. True fans will not be disappointed.


You can see a complete list of all Everclear discography, or go back to the Everclear tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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