Sugar Ray - Sugar Ray (Rock)

...the first release from the Sugar Ray album. Upon receiving the album, I was worried it would be one of those CDs where you would only like the song you bought it for - and maybe one or two others - but moan about the money you wasted on the rest of the album, which you invariably don't like. Luckily this wasn’t an option because I didn’t buy the CD (yay!), but even if I had, there would be no chance of me being disgruntled with my purchase, because ...
...don’t like - good work, Sugar Ray!

I really didn’t know much about Sugar Ray before making this purchase, other than having heard their song 'Every Morning' that was out a couple of years ago, and a track they did on the Scream 2 soundtrack (which I also have). But when I heard 'When It’s Over' on The Box TV channel, I loved it!

Sugar Ray is comprised of Mark McGrath (lead vocals, also plays the mechanic Uncle Kracker's ... more

This album was a birthday present from my little dog, Popple. I had put it on my Amazon 'Wish List’ (clever dog, going to amazon.co.uk to check out my list…) after having heard 'When It’s Over', the first release from the Sugar Ray album. Upon receiving the album, I was worried it would be one of those CDs where you would only like the song you bought it for - and maybe one or two others - but moan about the money you wasted on the rest of the album, which you invariably don't like. Luckily this wasn’t an option because I didn’t buy the CD (yay!), but even if I had, there would be no chance of me being disgruntled with my purchase, because for the first time in ages, I love all of the tracks on this album. It’s been a while since I’ve bought an album where I like *every single track*, and haven’t had to spend time skipping through the ones I find dull. There are no tracks I don’t like - good work, Sugar Ray!

I really didn’t know much about Sugar Ray before making this purchase, other than having heard their song 'Every Morning' that was out a couple of years ago, and a track they did on the Scream 2 soundtrack (which I also have). But when I heard 'When It’s Over' on The Box TV channel, I loved it!

Sugar Ray is comprised of Mark McGrath (lead vocals, also plays the mechanic Uncle Kracker's 'Follow Me' video, fact fans), Rodney Sheppard (guitars), Murphy Karges (bass guitar), DJ Homicide (turntables) and Stanton Frazier (drums). I’ve heard their music described as preppie rock, which it kind of is. But it’s also a little bit hip-hoppy, with a smattering of country and a sprinkle of funky jazz. Suffice it to say that there’s probably at least one song on the album that most people will like.

The self-titled album 'Sugar Ray' is the band's fourth album release, and is made up of 11 tracks with no hidden ones. It seems fairly short by today’s standards I think, but is definitely not devoid of quality. One thing that struck me - even on my first listening of this album - was how these guys can do just about anything with guitars. You get deep rock guitar, soft acoustic ballad guitar, wobbly Caribbean-style guitar, twangy Country & Western guitar and jazzy slap-guitar to mention but a few!

Track listing:

1) 'Answer The Phone' – A track for jumping around and thrashing/headbanging (does anyone do that anymore?), but I would not class it as heavy metal. It sounds a lot like upbeat college rock - like the obligatory party music you get in films like American Pie and the Hollywood contempo-remakes of Shakespeare plays. The verses in this track are fairly quiet with a steady bass line and are sprinkled with the louder, more pounding chorus. Best line from this song – ‘Answer the phone, I know that you’re home; I practised all my lines to a telephone while you were sleeping’.

2) 'When It’s Over' – The first release from the album. The video for this (though I very much doubt you can see it anymore) is well worth a look. It sees each member of the band visualising how they want the video to be. This includes the drummer attacking everyone so that he can be center stage for once, another band member fighting Kareem Abdul Jabaar in Enter-The-Dragon style and Mark McGrath’s bizarre visions of the band done up as 80’s new romantic idols - very funny. This song is again a very upbeat one, good for funky background music and on the same sort of theme as 'Answer the Phone' - American party music. Best line from this song – ‘When it’s over, can I still come over? When it’s over, is it really over?’.

3) 'Under the Sun' – ‘Something from back in the day’, as they say at the beginning of the track. This song reminisces about days growing up on the beach (that is, if you live in California). It starts with a really relaxed, laidback guitar and launches into a verse that showcases Mark McGrath’s sexy, gravelly voice very well. The chorus is (I think) in minor, which is a bit of an odd choice when I think about it. It does make the song sound a bit dramatic though, so I suppose it's meant to reflect the mournful part about reminiscing - when you miss what you used to do and the people you did it with. Just after the bridge there’s quite a catchy ‘na na na na na’ bit, which then leads into a heavier repetition of the chorus which makes more use of guitars and drums. Best line in this song – ‘Stay tonight, don’t leave me reminiscing, all I do is wind up missing you; are you missing me?’

4) 'Satellites' – This is a corker. And I believe I’ve never used that word before, so maybe I won’t use it again! For anyone who has read my Counting Crows op, this is the Sugar Ray version of 'Anna Begins'. On my first listen, this was exactly the same case as afore-mentioned song – the one I thought sounded really odd and probably wouldn’t like, but which turned out to be my absolute fave. It starts with quite a weird, almost comedic guitar riff and a frankly mediocre first verse. Then it launches into this fantastic, guitar and drum-heavy chorus, which could possibly be seen as a modern version of the 80’s power ballad. I would imagine it’s the lighter-holding-up song if you were seeing the band play live. The verses all follow the same, fairly mediocre pattern but each one has you really looking forward to the next repetition of the chorus. If I had to pick a song to run into the arms of my true love on a London train platform in slo-mo, this would be it. Best line in this song – ‘I’m feeling you tonight (in the dream I think I’m falling); Bouncing off of the satellites (in the dream I think I’m flying); I feel you, I feel you, reach out and touch me will you; I’m feeling you tonight’.

5) 'Waiting '– My next favourite after 'Satellites'. This is another ‘love song’ if you can call it that. Don’t be put off by that label, because as I’ve said Sugar Ray seem to me to be mostly a college rock band and are most definitely not a boy band. These types of songs are their *versions* of love songs - you can tell that by the words alone. This song starts with just a slow, brooding acoustic guitar riff and Mark McGrath singing softly – very sexy! Then it launches into a great guitar piece, which moves smoothly into the sunny, upbeat verse. This then moves just as smoothly onto the chorus, which is packed with a lot of emotion, which I always love! Best line in this song – ‘I feel like a hundred million dollars tonight; I knew you were the one, but I kept you waiting, anticipating, now I’m waiting for you’.

6) 'Ours' – For anyone who may have seen the 'When It’s Over' video, this is the song that the band sings a cappella at the beginning, while they’re on the sofa. Another very funky song, it’s like laidback jazz mixed with a bit of hip hop but recorded by a rock band (!). It’s about a girl who has two boyfriends, hence the chorus ‘She was your woman but she was my girl, one on one, the queen of two worlds,... that would make her ours’. It’s very tongue-in-cheek, yet light and toe-tappy. Also features a bridge bit with mechanical-synthesised voice for anyone who doesn’t like that sort of thing - I have a friend who detests it!

7) 'Sorry Now' – Very upbeat and more rocky. The verses are fairly plain but the bit leading up to the chorus and the chorus itself are likely to have you singing along, especially as the song builds to a crescendo with some great guitar and solo drums. Good driving song, especially if you are prone to 'playing' the steering wheel. Best line from this song – ‘I know you’re right, you’re always right, so turn out the lights’.

8) 'Stay On' – This was quite good for me to listen to while on holiday in Barbados (right after I got this CD) because it’s a little bit reggae. It has that wobbling Caribbean guitar in it (hard to describe!) and a flowing, relaxed feel. It even has a reggae-style rap in the bridge. Great for music to play while you’re having a barbecue or something. Best line in this song – None really! Sorry!

9) 'Words to Me' – Very upbeat, with a heavy basic bass line and prevalent slap bass (?!). It has quite a bit of record-squeaking in it (sorry, don’t know if there is a proper term for that!) and is again, v. funky. I bet you at least tap your feet to it. It was also included on the Scooby Doo movie soundtrack and was featured on some of the trailers (lead singer has blond hair, and was singing the line that comes next!). Best line in this song - ‘Get up, get up, get up and I’m gonna, pick you up and take you where I wanna’.

10) 'Just a Little' – This is my third favourite song on the album. It’s country and western rock, but please don’t let that put you off! We all remember the hideous Billy Ray Cyrus and his tasty mullet (not fish, people), but this is nothing like that. This is foot-stomping, deep and throaty country guitar rock. It’s also very hard to put into words, but this song is so fantastic when turned up on the stereo that my mum complained and she hasn’t done that since I was 15 and listened to Metallica. Ah, days of yore…. But anyway, this song is definitely the funkiest on here in my opinion and worthy of 5 stars by itself. Very steady bass line and a drum beat that I swear has come from an 80’s rock song but I can’t think which! Also lots of great country-style guitar. Best line in this song – ‘Surrender, protect her, I gave myself away; She rolls her eyes at all the stupid things I say’.

11) 'Disasterpiece' – Two words: Rolling Stones. When I heard the first few bars of this song I could have sworn it was a cover of a Rolling Stones song but it’s not. Very heavy influences though, not only with the guitar riffs but also with the very vowelly singing of Mark McGrath (you know, very Mick Jagger, like ‘she went riiiight throooough me, ooooooh’) and a lot of ‘woo hoo hoo!-ing’. Included on the movie soundtrack for Shallow Hal (the one with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow in a fatsuit) and, again, was played on some of the trailers for the film. Very much sounding like original rock music (especially considering the obvious influence of the Stones) and a really great finisher for the album. Best line in this song – ‘Woman, get your dirty mind out of my head, I never knew how good it could be’.

Now I know it’s hard with these music ops, as it is with perfume ops, to correctly describe the way things sound or smell. I can only suggest you buy the album, or maybe get if from the library or download it on MP3 and see what you think. You can go to the band website listed below for loads of information, pictures, news and great graphics for more details. The last time I went there you could also listen to snippets of the songs via walmart.com. Let me know if you get hit for six, too.

www.sugarray.com

 

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