Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 01/29/2002
Forever is a minor comeback for the men and women in
Cracker. They might have reached their commercial peak in the early '90s, but
Cracker works hard to re-establish their credibility after two decent but spotty albums. As on their previous full-length, 1998's
Gentleman's Blues, they concentrate less on the
post-punk barnburners of their first three records and settle into a more grounded approach.
Johnny Hickman and
David Lowery are still the main focus of the band, and their chemistry has developed into a nice combination of '70s
power pop and modern
roots rock. This works to their favor on several occasions, as
Lowery's deadpan delivery and obscure lyrics can be hard to comprehend when buried under a tense, fast-paced song. There are a significant amount of memorable, high-quality tracks from this album, something that does not always hold true for this duo. The opening
"Brides of Neptune" is a gorgeous track that features the best
Lowery nonsense lyrics since 1994's
Kerosene Hat and music that could have been taken right off of a mid-'80s
Church album.
"Don't Bring Us Down" is a homegrown
folk rocker that feels like
Elvis Costello recast as a cynical Southerner; elsewhere
Hickman takes the microphone for the sweeping
psychedelic rave-up
"Superfan." And
"Shameless" employs a memorable
Hickman guitar part and some beautiful
gospel-style background vocals to achieve one of the grooviest songs of their career. Their stab at the
country-rap genre,
"What You're Missing," is a funny (if overlong) stab at Detroit DJ turned balladeer
Uncle Kracker that even lets drummer
Frank Funaro and bassist
Brandy Wood each rap a verse. One of the most endearing features of
Cracker's output is their constant references to their other material.
Lowery and
Hickman use many of the same characters and phrases as the basis for their songs, giving their catalog a familiar and engaging feel. This album is no different, making references to songs from all over their career, even other songs on this album. This album rewards fans with little touches like that and it is such a minor detail that it won't alienate new listeners. There are definitely some slow moments here, as certain tracks start strong but wear out their welcome as they go along. But this is a noticeable improvement over their material from the second half of the '90s, and marks a return to quality without resorting to rehashing old ideas.
~Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
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