Summer Girl
After scoring one of the most infectious chart hits of the '90s with their debut's "Walkin' in the Sun," San Jose's Smash Mouth further refined their retrograde cocktail of ska/surf/rock/pop influences via the follow-up hit "All Star" and a raft of mainstream soundtrack appearances that virtually guaranteed them a critical backlash. But on this, their first album on their own Beautiful Bomb label, SM apologize for none it. If anything, they've further burnished their pop sheen, expanding the back-to-the-future philosophy that's the cornerstone of their sound a bit in the bargain. Penned by frontman Steve Harwell, the single "The Story of My Life" injects someRock of the '80sjitters into the mix, while the band variously evokes Merseybeat innocence on "Girl Like You" and suffuses "So Insane" with some greasy, melodic funk. If the B-52s echoes of "Getaway Car" underscore SM's penchant for sometimes pushing their pop-cloning gambit too far, songs like the bouncy title track and the bittersweet ballad "Right Side, Wrong Bed" argue that they're content to forge inviting, party-ready rock confections-- a feat they've accomplished again here with typically insouciant charm.--Jerry McCulley