All About Chemistry

Can they top "Closing Time"? All About Chemistry came out a few weeks back (I meant to write this then, but I've been busy).Standard pop fare, nothing wrong with that. I didn't expect anything particularly challenging here, and was not surprised. Solid song writing and hooks, some catchy tunes and maybe even a top 20 single. Chemistry, the opening track, is one of those songs you hear and just hope it's over soon. A shame, really, because there are some fine songs on this CD and if you were to tear it out of your CD player and break the CD in order to make Chemistry stop, I'd understand. But you'd miss some great stuff, so just skip the first track and go from there. There seems to be a plague of failed relationships going around right now (see the reviews of Dave Navarro and the Go-Gos, for example). Or maybe that's just what sells right now. I found the mellow Act Naturally to be a beautiful and touching track that could've easily gone insipid and managed to avoid it. She's Got My Number is melodically so similar to Act Naturally that I thought it might be just a really long track, but it picks up the pace a little and is a pleasant bit that I could see hitting the top 20.

The mood and timing of Closing Time is all over this CD, though it's not in the spirit of let's rewrite our big hit and have another just strikes me that their style tends towards the mood. Sunshine and Chocolate is a more edgy track that oddly enough is a more upbeat and positive one as well. Who's Stopping You has a very cool groove that kind of throws you at first as it's so out of sync with the rest of the album. But it works so well, I could see it on the charts as well. I Wish tends towards power-ballad but with restraint and dignity.Overall, a strong follow up album. You could do a lot worse than this (like buy the new Janet Jackson, for example).