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Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies Are Men
(Desperation-Reprise/Warner)
We already knew they were men. Good men. Talented men. Even generous men. But we never knew they could be such prolific men. The self-produced Barenaked Ladies Are Men, the eighth studio disc from these Canpop mainstays, comes less than sixth months after Barenaked Ladies Are Me.
As is often the case in these scenarios, it was recorded at the same time -- and it's easy to see how and why Steven Page, Ed Robertson and co. decided to divide their musical spoils.
These 16 tracks are the shiny, happy, poppy yang to the introspective, moody yin of their predecessors. The sunny, summery tales of poignant teen romance; the gently sincere breakup ballads; the lightly crunchy power-poppers full of witty, self-deprecating turns of phrase; the quirky, cheeky novelty cuts -- they're all here, all set against the impeccably crafted Brian Wilsonesque backdrops you can always count on.
Even the personal and political cuts are delivered with a wink, a smile and a likeable chorus, making for an optimistic time that will keep the faithful happily satisfied until the Ladies decide what kind of men they want to be on their next album.
Track Listing:
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1. Serendipity
2. Something You'll Never Find
3. One and Only
4. Angry People
5. Down to Earth
6. Beautiful
7. Running Out of Ink
8. Half a Heart
9. Maybe Not
10. I Can I Will I Do
11. Fun & Games
12. The New Sad
13. Quality
14. Another Spin
15. What a Letdown
16. Why Say Anything Nice?