Everything to Everyone

1	Celebrity 3:27
2	Maybe Katie 2:58
3	Another Postcard 3:25
4	Next Time 3:51
5	For You 3:27
6	Shopping 3:34
7	Testing 1, 2, 3 3:32
8	Upside Down 3:15
9	War on Drugs 5:32
10	Aluminum 4:34
11	Unfinished 3:00
12	Second Best 3:21
13	Take It Outside 3:49
14	Have You Seen My Love? 2:55
15	[Untitled Hidden Track] 3:35
16	[Untitled Hidden Track] 3:09
17	[Untitled Hidden Track] 3:31

Barnes & Noble

The cover of the latest effort from these Canadian comic-rockers is festooned with a white flag of surrender -- something which, when taken in tandem with the weary title, might point to exasperation with living in the material world. Well, the Ladies haven't lost their sense of humor -- not by a long shot -- but fairly wide swaths of Everything for Everyone cut more like barbed wire than funny bone-tickling feathers. "Second Best," for instance, trades traditional Canuck self-effacement for a prideful take on why it might be better not to strive to be top dog at all times. Likewise, "Shopping" offers a wry look at consumerist culture -- but stops short of going for punch lines at every turn. That's not to say that Everything for Everyone is a downer: There's still plenty of barbed humor, evidenced in the winking "Celebrity" and "War on Drugs," and plenty of snappy instrumental interplay as well. The disc is a bit less eclectic than, say, Maroon, but it also delves into the poignant, mellifluous pop the band is capable of at their best, most effectively on the beckoning "Maybe Katie." While there doesn't seem to be an instant top ten hit (à la "One Week") in residence here, Everything for Everyone doesn't fall all that far short of offering what the title ironically promises. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Barenaked Ladies took their time in following up their almost commercial flop Maroon. Having Don Was in the production seat wasn't enough to flesh out Barenaked Ladies' bright musical humor, although "Pinch Me" and "Falling for the First Time" were moderate radio hits. Opting to shake things up (as much as they can for being jokesters), Barenaked Ladies hooked up with Ron Aniello (Guster, Lifehouse, Loudermilk) three years later for Everything to Everyone. A dynamic mix of the band's special branded wit and bittersweet reflections, Barenaked Ladies show their age on their fifth release. Don't fret -- growing up isn't easy to do, but some members of the band are daddies and BNL crafted a set of songs in a post-September 11th society. Instead of mocking themselves and refraining from harshly criticizing the arena that's made them popular, BNL subtlety ridicules corporate excess. If the title itself doesn't give that away, songs like "Celebrity" and the techno-inflected "Shopping" will. Those smart enough to get the slyness hiding inside the joke will be amused by Everything to Everyone and the poignant lyrics for which Steven Page and Ed Robertson are known. "War on Drugs" is a somber reflection and "Next Time" is that second chance you're always hoping will be there. Everything to Everyone is probably Barenaked Ladies' most honest album -- always touching, but serious and completely open for the first time in their 15-year career. Several artists have made attempts to spoof the celebrity-obsessed world in which we live, but Barenaked Ladies succeed in keeping things simple. Sure, their classic charm will forever be a part of them, but wising up to make a point is what's real. If you can laugh in the process, all the better. [A CD/DVD edition with special packaging and artwork is also available. The DVD, which allows the listener to hear the album in surround sound, includes behind-the-scenes material from the studio, 11 acoustic songs, and five Internet bonus clips.] MacKenzie Wilson