Search - Everclear :: Welcome to the Drama Club

Everclear reboots, but Art's still stuck in a lyrical rut

W. M. Davidson | St. Louis, MO | 09/18/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The last few years have been rough on Everclear. The band's sixth album, 2003's "Slow Motion Daydream," was an artistic and commercial disappointment. Conflict between singer/guitarist Art Alexakis and bassist Craig Montoya over the band's musical direction resulted in Montoya's departure (leaving Alexakis as Everclear's only original member), along with longtime drummer Greg Eklund. A career retrospective disc ended the band's relationship with Capitol Records. Alexakis suffered a divorce and bankruptcy. Most fans probably assumed they'd heard the last of the band, but Art Alexakis is back in 2006 with an entirely new five-piece Everclear, a new record label, and a new album, "Welcome to the Drama Club."



Musically, the news is mostly good. Fans may miss the signature style of the Montoya/Eklund rhythm section, but the larger, more keyboard-driven band fleshes out the sound nicely. "Drama Club" mostly avoids Everclear's usual wall of electric guitars, favoring a mellower style akin to 2000's "Songs from an American Movie, Vol. One." Art Alexakis turns in his catchiest set of tunes in a while, stumbling only on a couple of misguided attempts to sound funky ("Shine," "Taste of Hell," and a head-scratchingly awful rap hidden after the last track). As usual, fans will spot playful allusions to past Everclear songs ("Under the Western Stars"' bridge recalls "When It All Goes Wrong Again," and "The Drama King" quotes the guitar intro from "Father of Mine"). After a few listens, "Broken," "Under the Western Stars," and "Your Arizona Room" will lodge themselves in your head alongside all the older Everclear classics.



Lyrically, however, Art disappoints. The silly album title proves dispiritingly accurate; the unrelenting focus is on sex and relationship drama and over 13 songs it gets obnoxious, especially since Art doesn't have anything particularly insightful to say. I can't help wishing that Art would grow up a little, find some new inspiration, and stop spinning his wheels analyzing his personal life endlessly in song after song-- or at least, find something new and interesting to say about it."

I Don't Understand The Negative Reviews

Mit Huston | Allentown, PA USA | 09/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A lot has changed for Art Alexakis since the last time Everclear released a full length album in 2003. He has declared bankruptcy, divorced for the 3rd time, and Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund, his bandmates for 11 years left to do other projects, all within a year. Take that into consideration when listening to the album.



He has since rebanded with 4 new members including a keyboardist to form a more "mellower" Everclear sound similar to the Everclear of old, but different. That's due in part to the keyboards and the workmanship of the new members of the band.



Most of the album was recorded from live takes with everyone in the studio, something that hasn't been heard from Everclear in several years. The album has a lush sound similar to So Much For The Afterglow, but without the sweet production.



The album deals with Art Alexakis' realization of his sex addiction, his wrongdoings, and is a journal of his life from the past few years. That is something you can easily hear from songs like 'Now', 'Broken', 'The Drama King', and 'Shine'.



I really enjoyed this album, and have to say this album is a huge improvement over 'Slow Motion Daydream', which I hate. I really enjoy songs like 'Taste of Hell', 'Portland Rain', 'Now', and 'A Shameless Use of Charm' which sound like the typical Everclear song but definately have a new element in them that is interesting. 'A Shameless Use of Charm' sounds like a Ben Folds song, and 'Portland Rain' has a 'Maroon 5-ish' pop vibe going on, which is actually worth listening to and has some of the best guitar work on an Everclear related album in years.



The faults of the album were the lyrical content, which aren't as articulate and thought provoking as some of the lyrics found on the earlier albums, but I really don't think it matters for the songs as I still feel his message is expressed in a meaningful way, take for example, 'The Drama King'. And if you want to base judgement on the album after hearing 'Hater', don't, because it's the worst song on the album and really is out of place with the rest of the songs.



Give it another chance!"

Don't be a Hater

Matthew Arrowood | Toledo, Ohio United States | 09/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, this cd is recieving some negative reviews and sure some people do not like the fact that two of the original three members are no longer with the band, but you have to remember that "Everclear was and always has been Art Alexakis, it was his passion and drive that got Everclear to fame in the nineties, and so now he forms a new band and calls it Everclear, again they still sound like the same guys that changed my life in the mid-nineties. I love everclear I can honestly says this, Art's Music means so much to me and it has gotten me through some really tough times, and although this cd might not be as technically perfect as the other boy band rock bands out today, you can still feel Art's love and passion come through and hopefully some 17 year old kid will hear this record like I did and it will change their life also.



So I say thank you Art for not giving up, and regardless of the reasons I appreciate the effort and am glad to have the new record, because I have liked artist in the past only to have them disappear, and it kills me not to have them anymore. So do not buy the hate, instead buy the album and remember what it is like to be young and have passion for life because that is what it is all about."