Underrated Albums Hall of Fame #3

Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too by New Radicals

You probably think of  New Radicals as a Nineties One Hit Wonder.  Granted, You Get What You Give was so ubiquitous at the time that it may be remembered with more disdain than not but, it is actually a pretty great and snarky Power Pop song.  And, It is hardly the only high point of Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too.  The perceived poppy-ness of the hit does not do justice to the dark twisted soul of this terrific album.  The fact that it is a State-of-the-(then)-Art, super catchy Pop Album only makes it better and, more subversive.  This album grows deeper with each listen.  The songs all feature a great hook (or two) and the lyrics have much more depth and darkness than they seem at first.  On top of that, mastermind Gregg Alexander‘s singing is great – confident and emotional.  It’s a shame Alexander folded the band to focus on production work after this lone LP because it really feels like they had a lot more to offer.  Well, at least there is still this fine album for people to discover.  A gem hidden in plain sight.  Enjoy.