Better Than Ezra

Wow ... something must be wrong here ... I just realized it's been a whole month since my last CD review. Well, nothing's wrong, really ... was just a bit preoccupied with my sister visiting from out-of-state ... but maybe things will get back to normal now. I'm not quite sure, though ... might be best if y'all just go with the flow and don't hold out any expectations. I'll try and keep you posted on exactly what I mean by that.

BETTER THAN EZRA
"PAPER EMPIRE"
(BTE, 2009)


The record labels have lost my business more than once lately because they've been packaging more and more of their CDs in what I call "sleeve" packaging (like a digipak, but worse -- instead of a tray the CD rests in, just a pocket that the disc slides in and out of, making it more vulnerable to scratching), The Fray's and Ben Kweller's latest releases being the two prime examples. But when Louisiana rockers Better Than Ezra released their latest album, I was so set on picking it up that I flinched for only a moment when I saw that it, too, is packaged that way. But then I knew that it was going to be worth getting regardless of its packaging, and I was right.

This album has a healthy blend of sonic moods, but the more subdued tracks tend to be the stronger ones of this set. The ruminative "Just One Day", the exquisite love waltz "Fit", and the anti-war anthem "Wounded" are amongst the best that BTE have ever come up with. As far as the uptempo tracks, lead single "Absolutely Still" and stadium rocker "Hell No!" (which, if I'm not mistaken, hints at comparing football to war) are winners, but the feather-light "All In" is little more than filler, and though the guys do an admirable Duran Duran impression on "Nightclubbing", it just sounds silly coming from these guys.

I've been a fan of BTE since their very first major-label album, back in 1995, thanks in part to the unmistakable voice of frontman Kevin Griffin, which is still as rich and resonant as it was when I first heard it fourteen years ago. The band has occasionally taken a more artistic detour (such as the curious and commercially unsuccessful "How Does Your Garden Grow?"), but more often than not has dedicated itself to crafting melodically accessible but lyrically substantial songs. "Paper Empire", their fifth studio effort, carries on that tradition nicely, and I expect to be a listener of theirs for their next five albums too.

Just One Day - Better Than Ezra