No more than a decent cover band

Smash Mouth (self-titled)\nSmash Mouth\nInterscope Records\nSmash Mouth might be destined for the used CD rack, but at least it's putting up a fight. Despite their predictable and often formulaic sound, this album shows they've matured a little along the way. After all, it's not easy rewriting the same song 10 times an album. But at least it's their song and not another faceless band whose sound depends on the rest of the industry. \nThe main difference seems to be the focus on the guitar in place of the keyboards, which leans a little more toward the late '90s power-pop sound than their earlier stuff. Singer Steve Harwell's voice still leaves the biggest impact on their sound with a few catchy lines such as, "I was a junky way before it was cool." The hooks might not be as powerful, but fortunately a few slower tunes give a nice change of pace. Some of the tracks add a little diversity with a subtle Latin flavor, while others have an unexpected harder sound. The band's version of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" does what a good cover song should, respecting the original but adding new personality to it.\nBut even with these minor stylistic advances and a surprisingly good cover the album is a little bland musically. With titles like "Sister Psychic" and "Holiday in Your Head" you would expect some pretty memorable lines, but these are actually among the five or six immediately forgettable songs of the album.\nThe band seems like a drug that kind of makes you smile and feel good for just a little while, but can be really dangerous if taken in large doses or too often. They might be pop musicians, but no one can call them sell-outs. It's not a bad alternative to the wannabe folk rockers, Creed copycats and disgruntled thrashers of today. Still, I can't imagine buying the disc new or listening to Smash Mouth for more than a nostalgia trip.\n