Astro Lounge

AMG Review of Astro Lounge

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Based on their infectious summer single "Walking on the Sun," it was easy to dismiss Smash Mouth as a one-hit wonder, since it was hard to believe that they'd be able to top that sun-kissed delight that was easily the highlight of their debut, Fush Yu Mang. Perhaps that's why their second record, Astro Lounge, feels like such a surprise, since it carries through on the promise of "Walking on the Sun." Like Sugar Ray -- a fellow veteran of the ska-punk underworld who delivered a follow-up that owed more to melodic pop and /p>

ew wave than its hit predecessor -- Smash Mouth have created an album that is unabashedly fun, catchy, and lightweight, the ideal music for a car radio or a day at the beach. It's true that nothing on Astro Lounge is as immediately grabbing as "Walking on the Sun," but every song shares the same party-ready mentality and irresistible, trashy AM-radio vibe. No, nothing on Astro Lounge is particularly deep, but it's all good fun and it never disappoints -- which is quite a remarkable feat, since one-hit wonders rarely deliver a second album that betters their first.