Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude

1	When It All Goes Wrong Again 3:48
2	Slide 3:48
3	Babytalk 3:02
4	Rock Star 3:29
5	Short Blonde Hair 3:24
6	Misery Whip 4:20
7	Out of My Depth 4:32
8	The Good Witch of the North 2:39
9	Halloween Americana 3:19
10	All F***ed Up 3:20
11	Overwhelming 4:03
12	Song from an American Movie, Pt. 2 4:52

Barnes & Noble

When Art Alexakis announced that he and his mates had decided to split their last batch of studio recordings into two separate albums because the mood shifts between songs were so stark, it sounded a bit fishy. But with the release of Good Time for a Bad Attitude, Everclear make good on that promised stylistic U-turn, outstripping the laid-back energy level of Songs from an American Movie Volume 1: Learning How to Smile. As befits the title, there is plenty of surliness and sneering to be had here, particularly on songs like "All Fucked Up" and "When It All Goes Wrong Again." But unlike some of Alexakis' previous plaints, the songs here seldom degenerate into whining self-pity -- although they do tend to list into the seas of bombast now and again, particularly on "Out of My Depth," a towering riff-fest that could pass for a Smashing Pumpkins outtake. Unfortunately, while Everclear manage to pump up the volume on songs like the pulsing, echo-laden "Misery Whip," the balance of tension and release is out of whack, the band seemingly having used up their introspection on Vol. 1. Ultimately, Good Time for a Bad Attitude might inspire listeners to bang their heads, but not necessarily use their heads. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Everclear separated their double album into two different records, isolating the poppier songs (thematically, the courtship songs) onto the first album, leaving Songs From an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude as the hard rock record (thematically, the divorce songs, or, as Art Alexakis puts it, "When It All Goes Wrong Again"). This may have concentrated their talents a little bit too much, but it does result in two pretty dynamic, effective records -- albums whose connections only become apparent through close listening, which is a compliment. If Good Time pales slightly to its predecessor, it's because it isn't as sonically varied as Vol. 1, even if it's still quite catchy. And this is the great thing about Everclear's advanced age, compared to their peers -- they not only have a greater musical reach, they are stronger craftsmen, not afraid to give their big riffs big melodies and pacing the record well, even if it winds up being heavy on hard rockers. Yes, sometimes they seem a little out of step -- the Spike character on "Babytalk" seemed just as out of date when Tom Petty wrote about him on 1986's Southern Accents -- but this is still a stronger post-grunge record than most, heavy on heavy rock, fine songcraft, and lyrics. If Alexakis occasionally delves into inadvertent misogyny, he balances it with sharp wit and warm humanity, plus fine riffs and melodies. Stephen Thomas Erlewine