Disc 1*keepers-3
*avg-2.67
Disc 1 starts with "Stars Burn Out", a solid pop song, which is quickly dismissed by the angry opening riff of "Hole Song #2"****. The unexpected Beatlesque harmonies enrich "That's Why You Need Us"**** above the other fine pop songs, as does the infectious guitar melody of "Blew Me Out." Generally the faster songs work better than the slower songs; "The Sun Room" overstays its welcome and "Where The Old Boys Go" is predictable. The acoustic "Eyeshine" and Neil Young-inspired "He Had You" have some interesting bits, but the last 20 minutes or so of the disc could have been left off. "The Pips" is a strange little (long actually) psychedelic rant.
Disc 2
*keepers-2
*avg-2.64
Disc 2 starts promisingly enough with "Growing Up" a rough Haight-Asbury jam heavy on the 7th chords and squalling. "The Wind Blew All Around Me" is pretty power pop straight from the Posies, "Book" in the vein of late-Weezer. Save the churning brit-pop of "You Make Me Feel"**** and the bitter dirge "There's Always One", the side doesn't stray from the power pop middle ground. "Her Father's Daughter"**** continues the fine tradition of pining after the girl, with cool 12-string lines lovingly lifted from The Dream Syndicate. Other than this, the rest of the album mostly consists of weaker ballads, except for the almost tuneless rocker "Stoneground Head" and the inexplicably 11-minute grunge power-ballad "The Stranger's Mirror". The sharp pop-punk closer "Story Ends" is a much-needed breath of fresh air if you got to this point.
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