Sparkle And Fade

Performer: Everclear
Engineer: Michael Douglass
Producer: A.P. Alexakis
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Everclear: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar); Craig Montoya (vocals, bass); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums). Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin in September 1994. All music written by Everclear. All lyrics written by Art Alexakis. If rock music was a logical equation, Everclear would be to the Slacker stagnation what Creedence Clearwater Revival was to the Vietnam era. Strewn with references to a wasted, self-proclaimed "white trash hell," Everclear's grunged out roots rock brings it all back home without a trace of pretention. And much like the underrated CCR, Everclear could easily be perceived as a southern-fried bar band. Their second full-length album, SPARKLE & FADE, is deceptively simplistic. Littered with three-chord diddies and face-level lyrics, Everclear's honesty could be mistaken for laziness. There's something primal about their approach to describing the terrifying vacancy in their world. Singer/guitarist Art Alexakis crafts blunt, yet accurate descriptions of the glorified casualties of the Gen X hype in all its apathy and destruction. A time piece of '90s countercultrue, SPARKLE AND FADE is painted in grim tones but is strangely hopeful in the end. Alexakis writes the believable tale of the underdog and describes the landmarks he sees on the way. Girls with "two pierced nipples and a black tattoo," or "heavy with her monster boots," dominate the scenery along with even sadder tales. "I heard the police say 'just another overdose'" mingles with "you tie your arm and ask me if I want to drive." SPARKLE AND FADE betrays something numbing and tragic, something vacant and lost. But like the deep misery of the blues and great soul music, it's done with enough conviction and perseverance that the effort brings joy in the end.

In the aftermath of the Nirvana-led grunge explosion of the early 1990s, Everclear's grunged-out roots rock brought it all back home without a trace of pretension. At first glance, songs like "Santa Monica" and "Everything to Everyone" are deceptively simple-sounding, grunge pop affairs. By the end of the '90s, however, people listened a little harder and began to realize that bandleader Art Alexakis was actually a major songwriter of his time.

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