Taken from http://www.epinions.com/content_23348809348
Pros: Catchy, Beatles-esque Melodies
Cons: A Melancholy Mood Throughout; Downright Depressing At Times The Bottom Line Semisonic still have the catchy hooks and great melodies, but they have lost all of the joy.
Recommended: No
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Semisonic first caught people's attention with 1998's Feeling Strangely Fine, an album so bursting with joy and exuberance that it just made you want to smile as you listened. With singles like "Closing Time," and "Secret Smile," Semisonic showed that you could mix heavy guitars, loud drums, Beatles-like falsetto melodies, and still come up with something that MTV would be proud to put into their rotation. On their follow up, All About Chemistry, Semisonic is in a very different mood. And that mood would be blue.
All About Chemistry is almost a concept album in the respect that all of the songs have a common theme running throughout. The theme of the album is of course, chemistry: the physical and emotional reactions between men and women. However, the mood is very down, and most of the songs are centered on the bad things that can happen between the sexes. Feeling Strangely Fine was a joyous work full of hope and love, kind of like how you feel during the first few weeks of a new relationship. All About Chemistry is down and bleak, kind of how you feel when you first realize that the relationship is now going sour, and breaking up is inevitable.
The first song on the album, All About Chemistry, is about the only upbeat song to be found, and it picks up where Feeling Strangely Fine left off. A bouncy keyboard part is backed by hammering drums, with irresistible falsetto vocals, and a goofy lyric about experimenting with the opposite sex. We are given our first few glimpses of the rest of the record, however, with lyrics like, "We found out that the two things we put together had a bad tendency to explode." From here, the album takes a sharp turn downward, and is actually kind of a downer to listen to.
The next song, Bed, is again propelled by a great keyboard and drums combo. Again singer Dan Wilson's singing is superb; he has a kind of high, keening quality that makes his voice perfect for this kind of catchy pop. However, the lyric is extremely cynical. Wilson sings of a relationship with a woman who doesn't want to sleep with him, so he promises to "find someone else to bed." It's the kind of song that's warm and fuzzy on the surface, but on closer inspection, it is actually thorny and black underneath.
The third song, Act Naturally, is the first really depressing song on the album. A soft piano part is underscored by a soft, programmed backbeat. Wilson pines above the mix about what I think is his girlfriend's decision to either keep or abort a baby. This is what I think the song means, but even if it isn't, the music is depressing enough on its own.
She's Got My Number starts off with a soft piano part before taking off with a nice beat and some electronic weirdness in the background. Again, it is Wilson's lyric and choice of melody that makes the tune somewhat bittersweet. This is about a girl who controls the relationship, and about how Wilson still wants her, even though he knows he should probably leave.
Follow is propelled by a melodic guitar part and solid drumming. Again the pace is pretty slow, and Wilson sets the mood at "blue." With lyrics like, "you know, I tried to show you what I had inside," you have to really feel for the guy.
Sunshine & Chocolate features an almost techno beat and fuzzy keyboard part. What could have been a promising beginning to another upbeat Semisonic number is again brought down a notch by some hushed vocals. It is at about this point in the album that I started to wonder if Wilson really did have some sort of painful experience that he was working through.
Who's Stopping You? is a minor key romp fueled by a jumpy guitar part. Guitarist John Munson also provides the vocals, and gives a little different twist to the Semisonic sound. To go with the rest of the album, though, the lyrics and melody hint of a relationship that's going straight down the toilet.
I Wish has a nice drum part, and a low, flowing guitar pattern. The lyric is about trying to be the person you think a certain boy or girl wants you to be, and always wishing you were around him or her. Wilson's soaring vocals are extremely vulnerable as he describes all that he would do for this woman, though we suspect that she is out of reach anyway.
One True Love starts with a catchy piano melody and is backed up nicely by some more solid drumming. The lyric is again one of yearning; Wilson just wants to be alone with his one true love, but he seems to be assailed with distractions. He seems to be suggesting that while fame and Hollywood parties are great, he really just wants to sit at home with someone he loves.
Get A Grip is pure silliness and serves as a great release from all of the heaviness of the rest of the album. The only song that is faster than an arthritic sloth, Get A Grip flies along on a fast drum beat and loud guitars. The lyric is about masturbation, which you would think wouldn't provide much in the way of creativity, but the words are nothing short of genius. The hook of "get a grip on yourself, you know you should, I've got a grip on myself, and it feels good," is sure to make you giggle every time you hear it. This is the only light-hearted track on the album, so soak it in while you can.
Surprise is rooted in a jangly guitar part and Wilson's great vocal melody. The lyric seems to suggest that Wilson is finally fed up with pining over a woman, and has decided to move on, though he does hint, "but someday I will be back for you, and then you better not refuse me again."
El Matador has the now-familiar combo of piano and drums, and is again slow in pace. It is somewhat fitting that they decided to end the album this way, because it basically sums up the mood of the rest of the songs. The tone is low, somber, and yearning. "Please don't go away, stay a while," is repeated by Wilson until you almost want to cry for the poor guy.
I don't really want to put down this album for being too down, it's just that after Feeling Strangely Fine, Semisonic set a standard for themselves of producing loud, fast happy music. All About Chemistry is soft, slow and blue. It's as if Green Day suddenly put out an album of slow acoustic songs about their women leaving them. It's such a shocking turn in mood for the band that I can't really put my finger on how they now want to present themselves.
It's not as if the music contained within All About Chemistry is bad; quite the contrary. All About Chemistry has some very strong songs with great melodies and very witty lyrics. I guess my biggest complaint is that I expected to hear great sing-along choruses and catchy tunes when I put this CD in, not dirges about lost love that make you want to put a gun in your mouth. All About Chemistry is definitely emotionally deep, it's just that it only has one emotion: sadness. For all those who are expecting Feeling Strangely Fine part II from Semisonic, look elsewhere, perhaps their next album.
Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying
