by Paul Pearson

Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath had proven himself on national television as a walking rock encyclopedia, in a 1998 episode of VH1's Rock and Roll Jeopardy. It was an impressive feat that could explain the divergent styles of Sugar Ray's 1999 album 14:59. Their third album showed an alarming overhaul in their approach, practically moving Sugar Ray into a new genre. 14:59 steered them from their metal shellac toward a calmer, melodious pastiche of songs. The band on 14:59 has versatility nailed down better than your grade-A wedding band: "Every Morning" bounces with the acoustic pop gentility of their 1997 hit "Fly," while "Falls Apart" and "Personal Space Invader" reflect influences from Synchronicity and Men Without Hats. 14:59 also favors the leaner, faster punk of Green Day in "Aim for Me." There's even a frighteningly faithful cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra." If there's one criticism of 14:59, it's that if you listen hard enough you'll be playing "sounds like..." for many songs. In that sense it's almost a parody; the inclusion of two comic songs entitled "New Direction" (one death metal, one circus tent) help that assessment. Finally, though, 14:59 has such catchiness and charm that it's a guilty pleasure of high order, and a bigger step than one might have expected from Sugar Ray.