Sugar Ray - In The Pursuit Of Leisure

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• SUGAR RAY IN THE PURSUIT OF LEISURE

Music reviews of In The Pursuit Of Leisure

Music Review: A good album for people who give it a chance
Rating: 5 Stars

Sugar Ray fans probably own the CD already so this review isn't really directed toward them...Sugar Ray haters are Sugar Ray haters no matter what I say, so this review isn't for them either.

This review is for people with an open mind and a desire to hear good music.

In my opinion, there really aren't any "bad" songs in Sugar Ray's newest effort. You can honestly sit down and listen through the whole CD straight through without having to skip songs out of annoyance. The rowdiest tune is probably their single "Mr. Bartender", which you can hear on their website (sugarray.com). However, don't be misled, the album as a whole is not laced with Bartender-like dance tunes...rather, most of the album is typical Sugar Ray fare, with pleasant accustic guitar melodies, good beats, a bit of rockin', and touches of hip hop and reggae influence.

The level of hard rock has seriously declined from Sugar Ray's earlier days, and I'd say this album resembles the previous "Sugar Ray" album much more than "Floored" or "Lemonade and Brownies". The mood of the album is a bit more reserved than other Sugar Ray works, though songs like "Mr. Bartender" and "In Through the Doggie Door" will really get the blood pumping. It's a working mix of the somber and the upbeat. You won't fall asleep, but you won't be shaken out of your seat...

In terms of individual songs..."Can't Start" strikes me as the "Someday" of this CD. It simply screams 'Sugar Ray' and 'summer' with it's pleasant guitar work.

The cover of Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him" does pretty well, though it's always hard to outshine an original. Personally, I think Mark McGrath's voice sounds a bit like Joe Jackson's, so it works for me...

Two particularly pleasant surprises for me were "56 Hope Road" featuring Shaggy (the combination of Sugar Ray and Shaggy results in a well constructed tune which I hope will someday enjoy radio play) and "She's Different" (an upbeat and oh-so-catchy little number). I've had the album for fewer than 24 hours, and I've already taken to these two songs. Quality.

Incidentally, I think the vocal work is particularly good in this album, as demonstrated on a number of songs (such as "Whatever We Are" were they hit some nice high notes...Sugar Ray doesn't hit high notes! What's going on?)

The only drawback I see is that this album is a bit short. There are 11 real songs (as humorous as "Bring Me The Head Of" may be, it doesn't really count) that range from 3:09 to 4:26. But, that's not that bad, I believe. Standard fare.

Bottom line. The key word is pleasant. This CD has pleasant music on it. If you like music that sounds good and you're willing to give these guys a chance, try this album.

However, if you're only stuck on Sugar Ray's image, then move on. Like I said, Sugar Ray haters are Sugar Ray haters. There's nothing I can do.

Enjoy!

Description of In The Pursuit Of Leisure

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Hard Rock & Metal
• Pop
• Rock