Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/08/1999
Based on their infectious summer single
"Walking on the Sun," it was easy to dismiss
Smash Mouth as a one-hit wonder, since it was hard to believe that they'd be able to top that sun-kissed delight that was easily the highlight of their debut,
Fush Yu Mang. Perhaps that's why their second record,
Astro Lounge, feels like such a surprise, since it carries through on the promise of
"Walking on the Sun." Like
Sugar Ray -- a fellow veteran of the
ska-punk underworld who delivered a follow-up that owed more to melodic
pop and
new wave than its hit predecessor --
Smash Mouth have created an album that is unabashedly fun, catchy, and lightweight, the ideal music for a car radio or a day at the beach. It's true that nothing on
Astro Lounge is as immediately grabbing as
"Walking on the Sun," but every song shares the same party-ready mentality and irresistible, trashy AM-radio vibe. No, nothing on
Astro Lounge is particularly deep, but it's all good fun and it never disappoints -- which is quite a remarkable feat, since one-hit wonders rarely deliver a second album that betters their first.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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