No Stranger to Shame

Kracker's debut album, Double Wide, basically presented him as a kinder, gentler Kid Rock - "comin' straight at ya from the Detroit trailer park, y'all", but less likely to raise hell, and you could take him home to meet your mother. That album did have a ubiquitous hit in "Follow Me" (which differed greatly from the rest of DW) and, not surprisingly, Kracker follows in the grand tradition of other lifeless corporate pop acts (Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth) and desperately tries to duplicate the sound of his past hit on the follow-up, No Stranger To Shame.

This album plants Kracker squarely in the realm of adult contemporary - everything here is tailor-made for the "listen at work" stations, but there is nothing redeeming at all about any of the songs here. Kracker had to resort to releasing a cover ("Drift Away") in a bid for radio play - it worked for him, but the fact that Dobie Gray sings circles around him casts a dark shadow on Kracker ... it was obvious that he couldn't carry the song on his own. If you like music that plays it safe, there's plenty for you to chew on here, but nothing artistically relevant or profound to speak of, and Kracker's trite lyrics and toneless voice certainly doesn't help any. Only on a couple of songs does the old Kracker rear his head, and as you would expect he comes off as Kid Rock's harmless little brother - maybe the Kid's buddies with him because Kracker's a performer that actually makes him look good.

In summary: Trivial pap from an unchallenging, irrelevant artist - more or less just music to nod your head to mindlessly. Appealing only because it's inoffensive fluff to play in the office, I can't recommend this to serious music fans.

Best song is THUNDERHEAD HAWKINS.