Better Than Ezra

As of May 2005, it's been 10 years since Better than Ezra bounded up the charts with the unsinkable hit "Good," which is just about long enough for modern rock fans--especially the ones who picked up 2001's crummy Closer--to mentally file the band in a "moment has passed" category. With the release of Before the Robots, though, comes the need to reshuffle the played-out deck. The first single, a re-done "Lifetime," effectively rescues a really good story-song from potential oblivion by sending in an un-soupy acoustic guitar and Kevin Griffin's more inspired vocal; "A Southern Thang" tips a straw hat to the Louisiana swamps the band emerged from with a rip-it-up riff; and the aptly titled "Juicy" chugs along a funkified track that veers daringly close to disco. For a threesome on the brink of been-there-done-that, Before the Robots represents a bold but pleasingly poppy rebound. --Tammy La Gorce

Like a Jayhawks without the Los Angeles glitz, Louisiana's Better Than Ezra plays soulful country rock that's artful but bare of artifice. Regrouping after an independent debut and the death of its rhythm guitarist, the trio originally released the engaging Deluxe on its own, but it has since been picked up by Elektra. The band gets extra points for "The Killer Inside," a tune that quotes crime noir novelist Jim Thompson. --Jim DeRogatis

The first two albums from Better Than Ezra were recorded as low-budget demos and released on tiny indie labels, even though the second one, Deluxe, was leased by Elektra and turned into a platinum smash. The third album, Friction, Baby, is the trio's first with a big budget and an experienced producer (Don Gehman of John Mellencamp, R.E.M., and Hootie & the Blowfish), and it crystallizes Better Than Ezra's identity as a mainstream pop band relying on catchy hooks, straightforward lyrics, and top-40 arrangements (which in 1996 meant grunge guitar). Kevin Griffin, the group's singer/songwriter/guitarist, has excellent pop instincts, and the 13 songs on Friction, Baby are as pleasurable as they are unadventurous. --Geoffrey Himes

A sweet, catchy gem of an album, Closer corrals Better Than Ezra's multitude of influences and styles into a memorable whole. While the title track sounds as if it might be an outtake from Live (not a bad thing!), the lush tune, with string arrangements by David Campbell, showcases singer-guitarist Kevin Griffin's bittersweet vocals, making for a standout in an album full of strong songs. Personal, poignant lyrics are paired with spare, lovely musicality on "A Lifetime," while the funky "Recognize," with slide guitar and guest DJ Swamp, is a departure, but it works, as does the hip-pop, almost-novelty "Extra Ordinary." With Closer, BTE come across as a more sophisticated, adult contemporary version of Sugar Ray (the New Orleans-bred trio), moving seamlessly among light modern rock-pop styles, deftly capturing and illuminating emotions in an earnest, but never cloying, manner. --Katherine Turman

Their first-ever hits compilation! Founded in New Orleans, this pop-flavored alt-rock outfit migrated to L.A. in the early '90s and rocketed to stardom with the 1995 Top 40 album Deluxe and the smash single "Good." It's featured herein along with 15 other definitive tracks, including "In the Blood," "King of New Orleans," and a trio of previously unissued recordings, among them the French Radio Version of "This Time of Year" and the VooDoo Mix of "Porcelain".

Full of the great hooks and melodies that the band is famous for, Paper Empire marks yet another step forward in main BTE songwriter Kevin Griffin s evolution as a master tunesmith and builds on the great work Kevin has done writing with and for artists like Howie Day, David Cook, Train and Missy Higgins. Features ABSOLUTELY STILL, which is already getting spun at radio!