Sugar Ray’s new rock and roll

You do not get a lot of them these days. I mean albums of simple, guitar-based rock and roll spiced with just the right ingredients, that are great fun to listen to. And getting one is really one happy surprise. One such album is Sugar Ray, the self-titled new release by the band behind hits like Fly, Mean Machine, Every Morning and others. This one has tunes that make you think back to junior proms, slow dancing, rocking teen idols and hit tunes on the radio but, take note, the entire album is presented in a new way that is distinctively Sugar Ray’s.

Sugar Ray is certainly not Leonard or Robinson although they must have been the sources of inspiration. This time around it is just a name and has nothing to do with boxing or any sport. This Sugar Ray is instead a hot band made up of Craig DJ Homicide Bullok, DJ Stan Frazier on drums, Murphy Karges on bass guitar; Rodney Sheppard on lead guitar; and Mark McGrath, who is the guy responsible for the soulful vocals. The group made its debut in 1995 with the well-received Lemonade and Brownies which contains the hit singles Mean Machine and 10 Seconds Down.

Two years later, Sugar Ray hurdled the dreaded sophomore jinx with the double platinum seller Floored, where the hit single Fly comes from. This was followed by an even bigger success, the triple platinum selling and very much acclaimed 14:59 in 1999. This is the one that has the big hits Every Morning and Someday. It was with this album that Sugar Ray truly came to its own by firmly establishing its original approach to a kind of California sound that blends rock and roll with an assortment of influences.

It is this kind of music that reaches new highs in the new Sugar Ray album, which reached the market this week. There are 11 cuts, all catchy, all written by the band, and each one showing massive hit chart potential. The group moves effortlessly across its hybrid of modern music using a lick here, a rap there, a touch of reggae there or whatever else they feel like using. Anchored on McGrath’s expressive vocals, the whole thing flows with confidence. This guy carries the entire package off with his blend of rock idol attack and swoony crooning. He looks good too in a blond sunshiny way.

The first single out is the teen ballad, When It’s Over, which has been getting very good airplay in local radio stations. For those who want harder stuff, there is the guitar showcase Disasterpiece. In between there are Answer the Phone, Under the Sun, Satellites, Waiting, Ours, Sorry Now, Stay On featuring Nick Hexum of 311, Words to Me and Just a Little.

Four great albums out and Sugar Ray still sounds fresher than most bands these days. Bigger things are definitely still in store for this group and I can’t wait to hear what they have to offer in the next one.

Here now are the hits of the moment in the US of A. Still leading the pack of singles in Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 list is the groovy remake of Labelle’s Lady Marmalade by the powerpacked foursome of Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & Pink from the soundtrack of the motion picture Moulin Rouge.

These are the rest of them: Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse; All for You by Janet; Ride With Me by Nelly featuring City Spud; Follow Me by Uncle Kracker; My Baby by Lil Romeo; Fiesta by R. Kelly featuring Jay-Z; Get Ur Freak On by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot; Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) by Train; and Peaches & Cream by 112.

On top of the 200 albums chart is Break the Cycle by Staind, followed by Survivor from the trio Destiny’s Child; Moulin Rouge the hit-filled original soundtrack of the movie extravaganza of the same title where movie stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor share the spotlight with David Bowie, Bono, Jose Feliciano, Placido Domingo and others; Lateralus by Tool; Now 6 another one of those compilations by various artists; Miss E…So Addictive by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot; All for You by Janet; Malpractice by Redman; Weezer by Weezer; and Drops of Jupiter by Train.