Smash Mouth’s latest release no gem

Ah, California – the land of incessant sunshine, beach bunnies, big-budget everything and,… Ah, California – the land of incessant sunshine, beach bunnies, big-budget everything and, of course, Smash Mouth.

“We are California in a can!” proclaims chubby frontman Steve Harwell on the band’s Web site. And who can argue? Time and time again, we’ve seen Harwell and company romping on bikini-busy shores and revving their flame-decaled autos to the beat of upstroke guitars and hella cool hooks.

Get the Picture?, the band’s fourth album, promises much more of the same: “reggae-flavored” – as the band calls it – summer-sun, happy-fun songs to play in your Cabrio with the roof down while cruising down Rodeo Drive. And how surprised can we be to see that the first single, “You Are My Number One,” was written by mega star Neil Diamond. Smash Mouth has built their empire of cheery, lighthearted music by covering many of the greats, on songs like “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” and “I’m a Believer.”

Somewhere along the line, the band became engulfed by its own corniness, seemingly singing its songs directly to the pubescent kids buying their albums, with dumbed-down inspirational lyrics like “Hey now/You’re an All Star/Go Play.” Picture only continues this, as it drills dozens of cliches into your poor, poor ears. On “Hang On,” Harwell sings “You gotta a find a way/To make your mama happy/To make papa proud/You want to turn it up/But all you hear is ‘tone it down’.” Meanwhile, songs like “Always Gets Her Way” and “Seventh Grade Dance” do their best to keep the band’s fan base below a high school reading level.

Seen in that context, there’s really nothing wrong with Get the Picture? If it stayed within the walls of junior high schools nationwide, I wouldn’t have the urge to smash the speakers that are blasting out these ridiculously happy, corny, atrociously unlistenable songs.