 Five for Fighting The Battle For Everything
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A step forward for John Ondrasik, the man behind Five For Fighting. The Battle For Everything incorporates a myriad of complementary influences, ranging from Elton John and Van Morrison's classic periods to the modern sounds of Counting Crows and Radiohead. Ondrasik still manages to sketch a very personal identity.
Five For Fighting's main man, John Ondrasik, makes music like he's trying hard to earn a spot on a Dawson's Creek soundtrack. On Five for Fighting's third album, Ondrasik's self-pitying ballads overflow with dewy-eyed dreaminess, as his vocals swoon and swoop - think of a more annoying Chris Martin. Piano-based numbers such as "Disneyland" sport strong melodies, Read More but their mush-headed philosophizing ("It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland") push the limits of poetic indulgence. The closest Ondrasik comes to rocking is on "Angels and Girlfriends," where he spits a series of sarcastic spoken-word verses about a lost love; its flip side is "One More for Love," a power ballad that reaches Air Supply levels of cheesiness. Here's hoping she takes him back, and quick. CHRISTIAN HOARD (RS 942, February 19, 2004)
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