Welcome to the Drama Club [PA] by Everclear (CD, Sep-2006, Eleven Seven)

Everclear being my favorite band, I went and bought this CD the day it was released. I'll be honest - my first reaction was that it wasn't the same band. Although, that was for good reason. Greg Eklund and Craig Montoya both left Everclear before this album, to be replaced by 4 new members: Davey French on lead guitar, Sam Hudson on bass guitar, Brett Snyder on drums, and Josh Crawley on keyboards. The only original member of Everclear on this album is frontman Art Alexakis. However, after listening to this album a couple of times straight through, it was evident that the change was for the better. The lyrics are a lot more mature and the music behind them is a lot more filled out. The album seems a lot, well, happier than previous Everclear albums. If you're angry at the world, you'd probably be better off with one of Everclear's earlier albums, but if you've finally found your place in the sun, then this Everclear CD is definitely your best bet.