In The Pursuit Of Leisure
While Sugar Ray have reunited with longtime producer David Kahne, after their brief romance with Don Gilmore on 2001'sself-titled album, they haven't returned to their party-on roots. Kahne has added some sophisticated flourishes to their sound, which seems to weigh them down. The cinematic string intro on "Chasing You Around," is a little top heavy. The strings on "Can't Start," a simple breezy gem about lost love, are equally incongruent. While the dense soundscape Kahne creates for the "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)" makes sense, adding a hip-hop back beat, jazzy piano, and background chatter gives the tune the same anthemic quality asPink's "Get This Party Started." Mark  McGrath singing seems a little too tame for the crazy mix. McGrath does a not- perfect rendition ofJoe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out with Him," and doesn't change a thing, which is unusual for the singer, who usually doesn't like to play it that safe. These  bawdy Peter Pans of rock are more appealing when they summon their innate raunchy power, instead of coming off like a 2003 version of the Beach Boys with the sand washed off.--Jaan Uhelszki