Hootie & The Blowfish

1	Deeper Side 3:38
2	Little Brother 3:09
3	Innocence 3:24
4	Space 2:15
5	I'll Come Runnin' 3:48
6	Tears Fall Down 3:05
7	The Rain Song 3:52
8	Show Me Your Heart 4:03
9	When She's Gone 4:06
10	Little Darlin' 3:18
11	Woody 3:15
12	Go and Tell Him (Soup Song)/Alright 9:41

Barnes & Noble

To paraphrase "Turn! Turn! Turn!," there's a time for adventure and a time for comfort -- and when the emotional clock rolls around to the latter, these Carolinians deliver exactly what's needed. Not much has changed in Hootie-ville over the years -- even given a four-year hiatus -- but then again, granny's mashed potatoes never needed any tinkering with, either. The band's first studio effort since 1998's Musical Chairs places Darius Rucker's mellifluous baritone in its customary front-and-center position, all the better to imbue songs like "Innocence" and "Deeper Side" with a misty-eyed blend of melancholy and hopefulness. Power ballads dominate the set, but the subtle production tweaks imparted by Don Was tone down the jangle in favor of a more spacious overall tone. That comes through just as much on the set's more up-tempo numbers, particularly the country-fried "Little Darlin," which allows drummer Jim Sonnefeld to kick up his heels a bit. Feeling the need for a little help from their friends, the band called in Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson of the Continental Drifters for a cover of that band's "Rain Song," as well as Indigo Girl Emily Saliers, who provides a nice foil for Rucker on "When She's Done." David Sprague

All Music Guide

It's been five years since listeners last heard from Hootie & the Blowfish (not counting 2000's odds-and-ends assortment Scattered, Smothered and Covered), and those who might have been expecting a dramatic departure from the radio-friendly guitar rock of the band's previous three regular albums will be either relieved or disappointed, depending on how they felt about it to begin with. But make no mistake: Those who accuse this band of being lightweight and terminally poppy are not only missing the point, they are also giving in to the worst kind of rock & roll snobbery -- the kind that says pop music really ought to be anything other than fun. On the other hand, those who accuse frontman Darius Rucker of sometimes delivering his lightweight, poppy songs with a bombast that is all out of proportion to their substance are actually onto something: Just consider the chesty roar with which he delivers couplets about, for example, minor domestic and emotional discomfort ("You need a little space/And I need mine"). But unlike Bono or Creed's Scott Stapp, Rucker's mistake is not in taking himself or his lyrics too seriously; it's just that that's the way he sings everything, and that big, chesty roar is a big part of what makes him fun to listen to. Mainly, of course, what make him fun to listen to are his songs' irresistible hooks, and this album has those in spades: "Deeper Side," the country-inflected "Little Darlin'" (which cries out to be covered by the Blasters), and a respectful cover version of the Continental Drifters' "Rain Song" are all perfect for singing along with in the car, while "Tears Fall Down" and the power ballad "Innocence" should have even the most jaded power pop snob digging in his jeans for a lighter. They're not trying to save the world, folks -- this is just rock & roll. And most people who say they don't like it are kidding themselves. Rick Anderson