Uncle Cracker bests U2

Maybe hell froze over. Perhaps pigs began to fly. I am entirely unable to explain it. Then again, I never thought Palin would retire before McCain. I downloaded Uncle Kracker's new record, Happy Hour, and it is fantastic. Lot's of energy, an abundance of soul, and superior production. Mind you, it's probably won't qualify as high art, but it is a great package of pop tunes. Among my faves on the record are Smile, a good love song, kind of sweet. Livin' the Dream is a cover of a Whitesnake song from the 80s, with some excellent auto-tune vocals. It is much funkier than I ever thought any Whitesnake song could be. Corner Bar is a lament on the sorry state of Detroit and the economy. Part of the chorus rings true: Sell me up, sell me down, I'll be sold out sitting here hanging around Take my house, take my car, but you can't take my seat at the corner bar Hot Mess and Hey, Hey, Hey exhibit great guitar work and catchy hooks. My only complaint is that it would have been a great summer record if it had been release back in May or June. When compared to the record I last reviewed, of U2's No Line on the Horizon, Uncle Kracker definitely put together a better record, in my opinion. Sorry Bob, I know you thought that was an instant classic. I beg to differ. Meredith is checking the pre-nup right now to see if she is obligated to listen to Uncle Kracker, and if I can even play it in the house when she is present.