Like fine wine, Smash Mouth is getting even better as they age! In my opinion, they're on top of their game now: their music has more polish, their talent as musicians has only improved, and their lyrics are as wickedly clever as ever! The fact that songs like "Everyday Superhero" and "So Insane" haven't topped the charts just proves how brain-dead the music industry is. It's got to be frustrating as heck for these guys to not have their talent recognized and rewarded the way that it should be.

I personally never had a problem with Smash Mouth moving to Movie Soundtracks. I loved them since Fush Yu Mang but OMGSH, listening to their new album, i am shocked. What an AMAZING comeback. I truly have to hand it to them. Amazing guys! ;)

A more honest title for Smash Mouth's first album in their return to unsigned status may be "Hey, Major Labels, if You're Going to Pigeonhole Us, Do It Right". Because a title like "Summer Girl" just gives the impression Greg Camp continued to ride the hollow sunny vibe that washed out their 2003 release "Get the Picture?" into obscurity and eventually oblivion with another set of cranked-out too-calm-to-be-rock-but-too-peppy-for-ambiance numbers. This is not the case, because Smash Mouth knows that there's more to being a "summer band" than making a soundtrack for sunbathing. There's barbecues, campfires, partying, and--this can not be overstated enough--macking on potential summer flings.

So that's the M.O. for Greg, Steve, Paul and newcomer Jason Sutter this time out (although former drummer Michael Urbano leaves his fingerprints on some of the beats and production work here). While any lesser band would backpedal and try to regain some rock-group-cred by pretending Astro Lounge and its successors never happened. Smash Mouth, however, are well aware they already betrayed the hipsters beyond apology, and instead simply pick up where their fans' expectations for that album left off: a varied--but positively rockin'--collection of songs that sound good anywhere... but reach their full potential behind a pair of cool-looking shades between May and August with a cool drink in one hand and the sunblock in the other. So rarely does a band recognize where they are and, concurrently, where they've been. Even rarer is a band that can fit it all into one coherent sound. This album's got the grit of Fush Yu Mang, the variety and songcraft of Astro Lounge, the poppy charm of their self-titled and the feel-good summer vibe of Picture--the main difference is now it's got substance courtesy of the previous three elements. Take the title track, with its lazy-beach-days organ riff, but when the hook comes in with all its self-assuredly charming naiveté, you realize you can stop holding your breath; Smash Mouth's found their footing once again. Quality Control--the surprising but essential middle finger to Clear Channel--feels like a walk through the dilapidated Astro Lounge with the quasi-creepy space-rock that ran wild on that album and remained an undercurrent. And then there's Right Side, Wrong Bed, the first acoustic tune since I Just Wanna See that doesn't feel obligatory (despite its being the only one here).

What's the most surprising is how well Smash Mouth--formerly a common example of the kind of band that gets funding as a result of the laziness and greed of record execs with their frequent soundtrack contributions and by-the-numbers covers--make the transition to a full-fledged indie band, selling this record off of their own "Beautiful Bomb" label. In fact, the only element of this process they don't have down yet is the timing; they couldn't possibly have meant to release this sunny record in September. But it's an easily forgivable offense, mainly just because it's a big relief to have Smash Mouth back doing what they do best: pop that's so much fun it seems other bands are afraid to make it.

If you know Smash Mouth this album will satisfy you, even if it's not the best. But every cd is a completely different music... and you'll love it anyway!

This CD is great, they really get back to their earlier sound and I'm so glad!