Artist: Barenaked Ladies
Album: Everything to Everyone
Label: Reprise Records
Rating:
Reviewer: Christi Holman

When the Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988, they were anything but a mainstream band. The distinctive, non-pop voices of lead singers Steven Page and Ed Robertson, in combination with the witty and thoughtful lyrics, made them an underground acquired taste. But their music acquired a loyal following nevertheless, and their sarcastic humor struck a definite chord with listeners. Songs like "If I Had A 1,000,000 Dollars", "Brian Wilson" and the ambiguous "The Old Apartment" gained them international attention. They haven't looked back. Since their debut album Gordon, the Ladies have become radio staples, and their live concerts must be seen to be believed. All this in addition to the success of their previous albums Stunt and Maroon set high expectations for this, their eighth album.

As the title suggests, Everything To Everyone has a little something for every taste. "Maybe Katie" is a peppy salute to dating an older woman, "Another Postcard," their first single from the album, is a reggae jam on a subject so random that just the concept of this song is enough to make you laugh out loud. "Upside Down" has a swinging tango beat which then fades into the reflective, echoing strains of "War on Drugs." With their typical flair, BNL manages to take the rather brutal subject matter and word it in such a way that it's morbidly humorous rather than morbidly depressive: "Near where I live there's a viaduct/ where people jump when they're out of luck/ raining down on the cars and trucks below." It easily fits in amongst the ranks of earlier BNL classics like "Break Your Heart" and "What a Good Boy" - it's guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings. Finally, there's the tracks that are just quintessential Barenaked Ladies: "Testing 1, 2, 3," "Second Best," and the anti-love song "Have You Seen My Love?" There are also three hidden acoustic tracks for fans of the Ladies' live sessions. The album really does have a little of everything.

To be honest, however, this album doesn't give the best impression after the first listen-through. "Another Postcard" is either loved or hated, and seems just a little jarring in the context of the other songs. However, like all Barenaked Ladies songs, the songs on Everything To Everyone have more going on that is visible at first glance. Buy it, listen to it a couple times, and see if Everything to Everyone doesn't become something to you.