Disco de Better Than Ezra: “Friction, Baby”

There always seems to be a 'curve' of sorts, with many many bands' sound and songwriting. They start out rough but energetic, their songwriting gets better and they get 'tighter' the more they play together. Then later on, (especially if they get more well-known) come the 'overproduced' albums that has them sounding less like they first did, or maybe they change their style to match what sells better. Or maybe they just run out of creativity and their later songs just aren't as well-written or unique-sounding.

Why do I mention this? Well, just to illustrate how I see this band. Their first full-length, 'DeLuxe', was a great album in its own right. But THIS one is where BTE really came into their own. The playing is better, the songs are hookier and well-written, and the instrumentation and production is varied and always just-right. This is the BTE album that you'll be most likely to play over and over, and to happily sing along with every song on it (even the instrumental!). By FAR their best example of honest, heartfelt pop/rock.

After this, came the overproduced one........

This is my favorite BTE cd, I have them all. Track for track I love the energy of this album. It has a great mix of slow, sad songs to more upbeat, hardrockin' songs. The great thing about this sophomore effort is that it is completely different from their first release. Each cd after this one is very different too. A band with so much range and the talent to back it up is definitely one to check out. If you only own one BTE cd, I would recommend this one. Actually I would recommend them all. Get them all here on Amazon...I am sure there is a good 'used' price.

Obviously affected by the widespread success of the harder grundge sound, BTE followed suit with similar peers, Counting Crows, and released a harder sophomoric album.

While some may brush it off simply for following the sonic trend at the time, the result here are some of the best songs created in the 96, 97 time period.

The harder sound invigorates and exacerbates Kevin's emotional lyrics, and overall this makes for a truly rewarding, full sounding album as a whole.

You have to wonder a little how bands like BTE toil in such obscurity, how they almost never come to YOUR town, how only college radio stations play these amazingly chewy morsels of pop songcraft. You have to wonder how this kind of music comes out of Louisiana, how these three guys can be so heavy ( Long Lost ) and so funky hip ( Normal Town ). They have such great musical taste, sounding a bit like Prefab Sprout at one turn and like a harder edged Dave Matthews at another. This is mainstream rock at its best, mining the janglepop vein but trading in a currency that is fresh and engaging.

After being very disappointed with Deluxe, I was apprehensive about buying Friction, Baby. I only bought it for King of New Orleans and Desperately Wanting, but the whole album is excellent. The beats stick in your head and if you're not careful, you find yourself singing them all day long. Its also a good background album to listen to when you're doing your work. I'm going to buy their new one just because I love this one so much.