In 2009, when singer, guitarist and co-founder of the Barenaked Ladies Steven Page left the band to pursue a solo career, many fans thought the band would never be the same. However, the band that Paul McCartney listed among his favorite bands on the current music scene in 2008 has proved their fans wrong.
All the best attributes of the Barenaked Ladies are back in this album. Their strong harmonies, astounding songwriting ability, and hit potential all play a factor in their 2010 release “All In Good Time”, their first album since Page’s departure.
Page’s departure only had a limited impact, since he and the other band members rotated lead vocals, and the band’s decision to continue without him seems to be a good one.
The new album has a great mix of the Barenaked Ladies’ sense of humor, and their sense of in-depth songwriting.
“You Run Away,” the album’s first song, was the single released prior to release of the album. There is a slow feel to this song, and it seems to have the greatest hit potential of any of the album’s songs. But the rest of the album is not to be underestimated.
“Summertime” and “Four Seconds” are among the new songs that give a funky feel to them, and while not new to their musical style, they are not what people typically think of when they think “Barenaked Ladies.”
If you’re looking for songs that sound just like the Barenaked Ladies you knew from the 90’s, I would suggest “Ordinary” and “I Have Learned”. Upon first listen, they don’t sound like a different band at all, and they are very typical of the older hits by the Barenaked Ladies.
The few tracks that may seem out of place to an avid Barenaked Ladies fan are fairly obvious in their uniqueness. Tracks like “Another Heartbreak” and “Jerome” are two of these different-sounding songs. The reason is that Kevin Hearn, longtime (but not the original) keyboardist, does the lead vocals for these songs. These songs are very Ben Folds-esque, with maybe a little influence from Five for Fighting, also. They are still great songs, they are just atypical of the Barenaked Ladies’ core sound.
Overall this is a very good album. The new Barenaked Ladies are not all that new. “All In Good Time” was the first album they had recorded as a four person band since their keyboardist transition in 1996. They have not added a band member to replace Steven Page, but to me it doesn’t sound like they need to. Hopefully, if you are a longtime Barenaked Ladies fan, you will be able to look past Page’s departure and hear this album for what it is.