I'm guessing that about ten years ago there was a band called Ezra, schlepping around New Orleans trying to make a name for themselves, when along came Kevin Griffin and company onto the scene, sporting a superior sound which must have inspired music fans in the Big Easy to opine that these new guys are Better than Ezra. That's my guess on the origin of the band's name.

Better Than Ezra has been around for over a decade and though I've never been a particular fan, I liked their mid-90's radio hit, "Good." It was about this time that a flood of similar sounding bands came along and for me, BTE got lost in the deluge.

After a few days in the sun, propelled by their MTV exposure, they were washed off to the side and their follow-up album, How Does Your Garden Grow, floundered commercially--though it was critically well-received. BTE is going to need luck on their side as this new album probably amounts to a do-or-die effort that is running against the grain of the mainstream tastes of today.

Not being terribly well-acquainted with their music I didn't know quite to expect from this album, and perhaps that's why I find it to be so impressive. Singer/songwriter Kevin Griffin wields a beautiful rock and roll voice and it is well showcased on this string of winning tunes. This is an album full of undeniably good hooks--the kind that grab you by your American roots until you're humming right along. He's something of a vocal chameleon and his lyrics allude to his obvious influences, "that R.E.M. song was playing in my mind." but the more stirring songs remind of the best of Live and more recently Powderfinger.

Sadly they've chosen to release "Extra Ordinary" as their first single. A song that is an obvious knock-off of Sugar Ray. You'd almost have to hazard a guess that this decision was made by their label--to the point where I wonder it they didn't call and say, "we need a Sugar Ray song, the kids want the Sugar Ray." It's a catchy enough little ditty--but it's poorly representative of how good the rest of the album is.

This is a strong effort that deserves to be a commercial success, but given the current climate of rap and rap/metal domination, I don't expect that this album will do much to revive their career. But if you were ever a fan of these guys, by all means pick it up. It's definitely better than Sugar Ray.