Smash Mouth is an alternative power pop band from San Jose, California consisting of bassist Paul DeLisle, keyboardist Michael Klooster, drummer Randy Cooke, guitarist Sean Hurwitz & frontman Zach Goode. Originally fronted by Steve Harwell from their inception to 2021, their 1997 debut Fush Yu Mang & the 1999 sophomore effort Astro-Lounge under Interscope Records are widely celebrated as their strongest material. Self-titled, Get the Picture?, The Gift of Rock, Summer Girl & Magic were received mediocrely at best & horrid at worst. 3 years after Steve’s death, they’re keeping the band on life support for their 8th LP.

“Better Believer” made for an average power pop, pop rock & geek rock intro calling back to their cover of “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees whereas “Whiskey, Gin & Wine” questionably sings about alcohol considering Steve’s death was brought on by alcoholism. “Had Enuff” was an underwhelming cross between pop rock, freakbeat, baggy, power pop & geek rock singing about being fed up with somebody just before “Big Sur Sky” makes a tacky metaphor for being a star one of Cali’s darkest areas.

We have Zach & company taking it back to the Get the Picture? era stylistically on “House of the Setting Sun” singing about always going home if you can’t find the door preceding “Monsters on My Block” hideously mutating pop rock, geek rock, cocktail nation, power pop, freakbeat, funk rock & new tone to wrap up the 1st half. “New Wave Rodeo” gets the 2nd act going making mediocre references to a plethora of older musical acts including Devo & Elvis Costello while “Gimmie Gimmie” provides a cringeworthy tale of some dude in a bind not wanting to share with his partner.

“Jackie-O” sings about thinking He’d seen everything until he saw the titular character diving headfirst into a wishing well while “Soaking Up the Sun” goes for a ska rock direction yearning to chill by the ocean to escape from all the turmoil in our world. “Face in the Crowd” sings about them looking for a way in the current landscape when I think disbanding would be the properly solution to that & “Midnight Doctor (Mercury Comet)” concludes the album putting us inside the shoes of a morning regretter.

There’s literally no reason for Smash Mouth to even try continuing post-Magic & unsurprisingly, Mercury Comet in comparison ties it’s predecessor over a decade ago to become the most unpleasant listening experience of their discography. The alternative pop rock, power pop, pop punk, geek rock, cocktail nation, pop, freakbeat, baggy, funk rock & new tone production sadly gets wasted on Zach Goode’s unbearable vocals & Paul DeLisle’s awful songwriting.

Score: 0.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!