Very Best of Everclear [Picture Disc]

As the angst-fueled grunge movement of the early '90s morphed from a string of heavy statements from obscure Seattle bands into a fully commodified mainstream product, dozens of bands cropped up to offer a more digestible version of the often caustic sentiments set forth by Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and the like. One of the more artistically legitimate of these bands was Portland, Oregon's Everclear, a trio that drove songwriter Art Alexakis' heavy-hearted lyrical portraits with more accessible pop song structures. The result were a series of incredibly catchy breakout hits over the course of a strong career, many of which are collected on this 12 track compilation, The Very Best of Everclear. Smash hits like "Santa Monica" and "Father of Mine" make obligatory appearances, as does their re-interpolation of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and a more true to form cover of the Police's "Every Breath You Take." ~ Fred Thomas