Sugar Ray still creates light music

After the release of the 2005’s compilation The Best Of the fans of the Californian team Sugar Ray were expecting new creations but as it turned out they had to be a little more patient. On the other hand taking into account the fact that the quintet’s peak of success was in the mid 1990s the girls that adored it then are now adult women having a lot of other things to do besdies dreaming of the new songs performed by the handsome vocalist Mark McGrath. Thus the guys made the collection and it was only last year that they announced in the Internet that they had prepared a surprise for their fans – a new album. Finally this summer Sugar Ray’s sixth studio work is released, and it got quite an appropriate title Music For Cougars meaning that the guys still create light music addressed mainly to the younger dancing audience and of course the fair sex. Mellow summer melodies uniting the elements of reggae, pop music, rock and hip-hop are sure to be appreciated by all who still remembers how they had fun in the daring 1990s and are sure to refresh the hot July days.

The feeling of holiday on Music For Cougars

The absolute majority of tracks on Music For Cougars is filled with a happy and cloudless feeling of holiday, entertainment and confidence that it is love that rules the world so there is no need to worry in it at all. The album opens with the brightest example of such attitude to life Girls Were Made To Love featuring Collie Buddz, an endlessly positive composition with a very simple catchy melody and text that you are sure to sing all day long. The first single Boardwalk is also easy to learn, besides, it is refined with the whole line-up’s choir singing – the guys tell of a vacation romance that means nothing but still can leave memories for the rest of your life. The song about a gorgeous girl She's Got The (Woo-Hoo) is perfect for any party, for example it may serve as a birthday present or be played at a hen party, whereas the optimistic Love Is The Answer is also sure to leave nobody indifferent even though it repeats the well-known love commonplaces. A philosophic number Rainbow is refined with heart-felt fiddles and reminds that not all the good things are given us for free and sometimes we should be prepared for difficulties after which everything will definitely be fine. A nostalgic pop track When We Were Young makes one understand that the guys do realize in which century they are now but will never get old in their hearts whereas the contagious keyboards join efforts with powerful rock guitars on a bit heavier Going Nowhere. An unusual song Last Days proves to be one of the best pop numbers here refined with a broken accompaniment and great vocals, and Morning Sun surprises with unexpected electronic hooks reminding of A-Ha’s works. Of course the album closes on an optimistic note Dance Like No One's Watchin' featuring Donavon Frankenreiter, a beautiful love track.

A wonderfully topical album

From the very beginning Sugar Ray has occupied its own niche allowing it to express the thoughts most often returning to having fun. At the same time one can hardly call it stubborn optimists for there is a place for sadness and reflections in its lyrics, it is just that the prevailing emotions are always excellently positive. In this connection, the ballad Rainbow is present on Music For Cougars, and this song is sure to help anybody who has found oneself in a hard situation. Besides the band’s music always surprises with the variety of styles among which the musicians manage to find the most expressive. On the whole these 12 compositions will please you and remind that the celebration can always continue in spite of anything. In fact Music For Cougars sounds wonderfully topical today when the world economic situation is absolutely far from being perfect: Sugar Ray seems to tell with them that nobody cancelled summer so far and one should always look ahead believing in the best.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
03.08.2009