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!

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.

Track listing:

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?’.

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’.

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!

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!

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’.