“The World Won’t End” Pernice Brothers Compare to: Brian Wilson, Mark Eitzel, the Wonders (from “That Thing You Do”) **** 1/2

Thank the Lord for independent music.

The new millennium has unfortunately been successful in carrying over the 1990s annoying trends- Britney rip-offs, a sickening array of boy bands and the unwelcome return of stadium buttrock. (Select from Vertical Horizon, Creed or 3 Doors Down as a suitable representative for the latter category.)

Pernice Brothers’ sophomore release, “The World Won’t End,” all but eliminates the notion that “pop” music is heading to hell in a handbasket. The modern day singer/songwriter is alive and well in frontman Joe Pernice.

The band’s new album picks right up where 1998’s “Overcome By Happiness” left off.

Upon a casual first listening, the songs on “The World Won’t End” have been arranged in a way that listeners might perceive as an optimistic change in Pernice’s writing.

The first two tracks, “Working Girls (Sunlight Shines)” and “7:30,” move at an uncharacteristic up-tempo beat. But within the lyrics is the familiar melancholic stylings fans have come to embrace.

“It would have been nice to be someone/ To have to and to hold the only one,” from “7:30” is the first indication that Pernice has yet to shake the blues. Any hopes of this album harboring thoughts of optimism vanish with the listening of track three, “Our Time Has Passed.”

Don’t be led to believe this album is composed of sappy, teen-angst ballads. Pernice is simply purging himself of the ill-fated relationships we all encounter at one point or another.

Pernice wraps himself in the self-depreciation that is sure to warm even the coldest heart. This is evidenced in the disc’s jewel track, “Endless Supply.”

“There is no meaning to my life/ There’s so much meaning in the times you say goodbye (endless supply).” One can’t help but resort to wallowing in self-pity followed by hints of resignation. With lyrics like, “I’ll wake up tomorrow, still I won’t feel alive,” who’s to argue?

Albums like this are reserved for those dreary days or stormy nights. Unfortunately, or maybe not, these reside in some of our lives all too often.

“The World Won’t End” makes these days tolerable and even somewhat familiar. The brilliant compositions within the record make it one of the more memorable albums of the year thus far.

Forgo what plans were made tonight, cancel them. Hit repeat on the CD player and enjoy a nice cold brood.

– Boonie Boone

“Shrek” Various Artists Contains: Leslie Carter, Rufus Wainwright, Self, The Proclaimers, Smashmouth ***

Similar to the half-monstrous, half-lovable creature in “Shrek” is the soundtrack to the movie. The CD is a mix of strong ballads bogged down by poppy tunes that would be better off as donkey fodder.

The “Shrek” soundtrack offers a small collection of jewels swarmed by upbeat songs that fit the mood of the movie but don’t necessarily offer any value.

The worst of these is Leslie Carter’s “Like Wow!” which tells the exciting story of an adolescent with a mondo crush. Perhaps I was laughing and missed it, but I don’t recall Shrek or Fiona ever looking into each other’s eyes and muttering, “Being around you… it’s like… it’s like, wow!” But what can you expect from the family that also spawned Backstreet Boy Nick and saccharine brat Aaron?

Among the songs actually worth listening to are Self’s “Stay Home” and Jason Wade’s (of Lifehouse) wonderful solo effort in “You Belong to Me.” Though the slowest song on the album, it’s also the best. These two tracks along with the Eels’ “My Beloved Monster” make the album worth listening to.

There are some funny touches on the album, such as Smashmouth’s and The Donkey’s two renditions of “I’m a Believer”. There are also some annoying bits, though, such as the inclusion of Smashmouth’s “All Star” on yet another soundtrack.

Back from pop hell are The Proclaimers, those Scottish twins that brought the world “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” This time around they’re armed with “I’m On My Way”. It’s interesting at first but by the third chorus your finger will be on its way to the fast forward button.

Halfcocked and Rufus Wainwright both serve nice covers, Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” respectively. “Hallelujah” is featured in the film and will draw memories of the sadness that befalls Shrek near the end of the movie.

Unfortunately the album only includes one instrumental track from the movie’s excellent score. Partly remedying this is the movie’s theme song “It Is You (I Have Loved),” which is performed by Dana Glover and includes cuts from the score.

The soundtrack is a fun collection of songs and the overall feeling is befitting of the spunky movie. It’ll satisfy younger fans of the animated movie as a bunch of happy beats they can go spastic to, but it also gives the older audience a jog for its money as well.

– Cavan Reagan

“Bridge” Blues Traveler Compare to: Allgood, Hootie & the Blowfish, Spin Doctors *1/2

For a band that features a guy who has been labeled the “Hendrix of the Harmonica,” Blues Traveler’s new album “Bridge” is up there as one of the most unchallenging and spoon-fed records of the year.

However, the band deserves a little credit. The band members got trendy, new hair-cuts and the aforementioned Hendrix-esque harmonica player/frontman John Popper does look like a new person after recently losing the equivalent of a Volkswagen.

I realize obesity is a disease, like cancer or the Olson twins, but Popper’s recent stomach surgery is a telling sign of a man who takes the easy road, often passed a McDonalds, and that easy-road mentality is mirrored tenfold in this album.

Way back in 1994, when people still listened to or cared about Blues Traveler, there was an appreciation for the band because of the way they rebelled against the conventions of how pop stars could be packaged to the public.

Cut to 2001, when the world is in dire need of big fat rock musicians to balance out the spectrum of Christina Aguileras and other pop stars who deny the laws of physics with their massive craniums and tiny bodies. Blues Traveler goes and changes their image to elderly skinny guys with harmonicas. Didn’t Huey Lewis and the News teach us anything, guys?

So new image aside, what kind of record does Blues Traveler release?

An album so bad, Huey Lewis would be embarrassed. A record that couldn’t be more adult contemporary if it was produced by Celine Dion, or Tom Hanks, or if it featured a guest collaboration with Jar Jar Binks.

The songs on this record demolish any integrity that remained from a pop band who survived by outthinking and outplaying the rest of the Top 40, or at least remained in the public conscious by being fat.

The new single “Girl Inside My Head” is a fitting example of how the band has strayed from anything resembling clever.

If your intelligence isn’t insulted by a chorus that reads, “Should she see the willing dog or should I be the jungle cat? And most of all my god how does she make her eyes do that?” you may as well pick up a copy of “Bridge,” put it in your Walkman and mosey your way down for a happy meal.

– Matthew Peelan