Semisonic struck pay dirt in 1997, with their radio-ready hit "Closing Time." Though you may well guess that these guys are a fairly new act, in truth I've been an avid follower of Minneapolis singer/songwriter Dan Wilson for nigh on 20 years. Wilson spent most of his career as the half-Bard of the band Trip Shakespeare. Along with his brother Matt, TS pecked away at the outskirts of alternative success with 4 albums that were as brilliant as they were frustratingly uneven.

Such has been the case with Dan's latter-day project, Semisonic. Great Divide, their first was a welcome re-incarnation, but only hinted at the brilliance that they proved was within their grasp with the '97 masterpiece Feeling Strangely Fine. Sadly, All About Chemistry finds Wilson unable to reproduce the winning formula that made FSF such a breakthrough. True, there are some fine moments in this Chemistry set, but it's sorely lacks the rich and diverse elements that made their last one so explosive. Wilson only gets about a C+ in Chemistry, but I'm holding out hope that he'll bring that cake in out of the rain and find that super sonic recipe again.