Music review: Hootie & the Blowfish – 鈥業mperfect Circle鈥�
It鈥檚 been 25 years since Hootie & the Blowfish found success by crafting hits like 鈥淗old My Hand,鈥� 鈥淟et Her Cry鈥� and 鈥淥nly Wanna Be with You鈥� on the band鈥檚 1994 debut release.
鈥淐racked Rear View,鈥� will always hold a special place in my heart. I got married the same year the band鈥檚 breakthrough album was issued, going on to sell over 21 million copies and still counting.
A neighbor loaned us his Cadillac to use on our honeymoon. Having a CD player in your car back then was a special treat, so we searched for the perfect music to accompany us during our travels. 鈥淐racked Rear View鈥� was our unanimous choice to serve as the official soundtrack to help celebrate our new life together.
A quarter century later, my wife and I are still going strong and the popular South Carolina band is back making the type of music we fell in love with during the 鈥�90s.
With 鈥淚mperfect Circle,鈥� frontman Darius Rucker, guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim Sonefeld come full circle to deliver a new album that delivers a nostalgic journey back to the band鈥檚 early days.
鈥淔rom the second that you walked in/Everything around me changed,鈥� sings Rucker on the album opener 鈥淣ew Year鈥檚 Day.鈥� The guitar-driven love song鈥檚 introductory lyrics are the perfect words I would use to describe how my world changed the moment I met my wife. It鈥檚 a typical Hootie arrangement that makes you smile from ear to ear and sing out loud as you think about that special someone who stole your heart and made you a better person in the process.
The album is filled with infectious musical declarations of love. Tracks like 鈥淢iss California,鈥� 鈥淗old On,鈥� 鈥淣ot Tonight鈥� and 鈥淲e Are One鈥� celebrate the power of love with Rucker鈥檚 soulful baritone voice leading the way.
British singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas lends her fetching vocals to 鈥淲ildfire Love.鈥� Silvas and Rucker blend beautifully together as they sing about a burning love that can鈥檛 be restricted.
The band demonstrates it can turn it up a notch when needed on the lively numbers 鈥淭urn It Up,鈥� 鈥淩ollin'鈥� and 鈥淓verybody But You.鈥�
鈥淐hange鈥� closes the set in a reflective manner as Rucker sings, 鈥淎s I grow old, one thing stays the same/Always waiting there to meet me is change.鈥�
While change is inevitable, it鈥檚 comforting to know that we always have a soundtrack that narrates each chapter of our evolving life story.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.