Semisonic
Feeling Strangely Fine
1998

~ "She Spreads Her Wings"

Semisonic: Great Divide and Feeling Strangely Fine
September 22, 1998

My friend Scott tried to turn me on to Semisonic over a year ago. He knew how much I loved Matthew Sweet, and he thought I’d like Great Divide, Semisonic’s 1996 debut.  But it wasn’t until this summer when "Closing Time" became a hit that I dug out the tape he’d made me.  After a few days of listening, I bought Feeling Strangely Fine.

Semisonic sounds like a band.  Sometimes they sound like another band -- you can definitely hear the influence of the Beatles and the Byrds and other guitar-driven pop bands in their music, as well as retro 1970s styles.  Guitar, drums, bass, piano, songs with a beat and a chorus -- guitar pop, 1998 style, very well done. The lyrics are a little more profound than some (say, the Gin Blossoms) but not as quirkily dark as others (Matthew Sweet).  And best of all -- this band is great to listen to in the car.

Great Divide is a solid debut album, very easy to listen to.  Most of the songs are straightforward guitar/bass/drum tunes with a little synth, creating a sound that ranges from Matthew Sweet to Squeeze.  High points on this album are "Across the Great Divide," a great song for singing and driving, and "Falling," a semi-love song with a wry sense of humor.

Feeling Strangely Fine, as you might expect, is a more polished album in some ways.  The band uses a wider range of instruments (most notably, more keyboards) and more of these songs have radio potential.  "Closing Time," probably the most overplayed song of the summer, is the first song on the album.  It's still a great song if you can come to it fresh.   "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" is the lyric that convinced me to buy the album.

There are other good songs on the album, though. I especially like "Never You Mind," which is one of Semisonic’s songs more obviously influenced by the Beatles. The music may have shades of Sgt. Pepper, but the lyrics are all new.  Another of my favorites is "Completely Pleased," which has sexy lyrics and a funky sound (provided by a Moog!).  There are also a few very pretty slower songs, "Secret Smile," "Gone to the Movies," and "She Spreads Her Wings."  This album shows off the band's versatility and range of musical interests more completely than the debut.

Semisonic has a great sound, and both these records are worth having if you like guitar pop and a retro flashback style. If you had to choose between the two albums, I’d say go with Feeling Strangely Fine although it's really a toss-up -- if you see either of them in a used CD rack, I’d get that one.  But I like having both albums; they make nice companion pieces and the songs are singable and fun.