What: second album by smart-arse power-pop rockers from Rockford, Illinois.
Why:
- Perfect pop tunes played by a sort of semi hard rock band
- Tom Werman's production, the band thought too clean but were wrong; witness the leaked songs from the aborted Steve Albini re-recording if proof be needed
- Anthemic rock which is never stupid, except on purpose
- Rick Neilsen's guitar playing, so good he doesn't even bother to show off
- Excellent 2 heartthrobs/2 dorks image & cover art
- Trad rock album not immediately made irrelevant by punk
- Chirpy love song ('I Want You to Want Me') that is equal parts cute/sweet/pervy
- 'Southern Girls'
- All the promise of their (pretty great) debut with none of their 80s blandness
- One of those albums so right that bonus tracks seem like an unwelcome intrusion
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