Search - Sugar Ray :: Sugar Ray

John L. (Yaz) from WILMINGTON, NC
Reviewed on 2/1/2007...

Includes the hit single "When It's Over".

A letdown after their previous efforts ...

JB | Eastern USA | 08/30/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I've enjoyed both "sides" of Sugar Ray, the breezy Fly / Every Morning side and harder-edged RPM side. I though Floored was great, and 14:59 softer overall but still great. However, this self-titled album is just not that interesting. Only the hit When It's Over caught my attention, and the rest of the songs just feel like mushy top-40 radio crap. (Of course Fly was top-40, but I never considered it crap.) There is little of the edge, humor, or fun of previous Sugar Ray CDs on this release.



If you have the two popular albums already, I would suggest that Lemonade and Brownies is a much more interesting and fun (and LOUDER and raunchier) CD than this one."

Sugar: Sweet Like it was Meant to Be

Darrin C. Matter | Lynden, WA | 04/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When the radio played Sugar Ray's "Every Morning" at some point last June, it had been nearly two years since I'd last heard it, and that was definitely a good thing. After over-exposure to the song in high school, my ears needed a break from it. Pop hits tend to get overplayed, and that song was no exception.



However, after those 24 months of separation from old Sugar, I realized something: When I don't hear his songs five times a day, I actually like them. I enjoyed listening to "Fly" in its day, and songs like "Abracadabra" had me tapping my foot to the beat as well. For the first time, I realized that Sugar Ray's music might actually fall in my category of preference. I figured that it was time to invest in an album, so I went to a local used CD shop, and got not one, but two Sugar Ray albums for $2. In the process, I also learned a little something about Sugar Ray.



The albums I bought were Floored, and this self-titled one. I just happened to listen to Floored first. It wasn't what I expected, to say the least. The Limp-Bizkit-inspired style and crass lyrics blasted into my brain like a bucket of ice water at 3AM. Now, I know that some people prefer such aural punishment, and I'll admit that a few of the songs were clever, but let's just say that I wasn't prepared for the rage. That wasn't quite the mood I'd expected the CD to emanate. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant to put this second album into my stereo. So I didn't.



Thankfully, I put it into my computer instead. I was once again surprised, and this time, for the better. I actually stopped my work to listen. Was this the same Mark McGrath? Enjoying the music thoroughly, I listened to the first three tracks before I returned to my work. With the conclusion of "Under the Sun," a sense of relief came over me. The Mark McGrath who had written the soft songs I'd come to love had not died, but lives!



But besides being refreshing, this album was just plain excellent, and I would put list it as one of my favorites. It's one of the few CDs where I like all of the tracks, which all blend together well and flow nicely from one to the next. The lyrics appear well thought out, and as an added bonus, the final track is one of the best songs on the album (in my opinion), ending what I would consider a great CD on a pleasant note.



So while I'm thankful that I'm no longer ignorant of Sugar Ray's history after having listened to Floored, I'm much more grateful that afterwards, I still had the bravery to try this one out. If you're a Simple Plan or Good Charlotte fan, I have a feeling that this CD will fit right into your collection, but I'm additionally confident that a large variety of people will also enjoy it. Sugar was meant to be sweet, not bitter. I definitely support the band's change of style, and I hope that you will, too, and buy this album.

"