EVERCLEAN, "Sons of Provo" (Boy Band Records)
If Everclean were a real boy band, these are just the songs you would expect them to sing; the song titles say it all — "Word of Wizzum," "Diddly Wack Mack Mormon Daddy," "Spiritchal as Me," "Nourish and Strengthen Our Bodies and Do Us The Good We Need."
Cleverly written, mostly by Will Swensen and Peter Brown, they are spoof songs, sung with tongue firmly planted in cheek, and perfectly in keeping with the band's persona in the "Sons of Provo" movie.
The guys show they are no slouches musically, however, providing nice harmony and range, as they shift from pop to rap to softer ballads. Producer Jenny Jordan Frogley (known locally for her own music) and other talented studio musicians give the project a nice professional stamp.
A couple of the songs stand on their own — "Sweet Spirit" actually has a nice message, the title cut "Everclean" has a catchy melody (you just might find yourself humming "Everclean . . . cleaner than Listerine") and "Beautiful Inside," with words and music by Kirby Heyborne, works nicely.
Since the music doesn't get a lot of play in the movie, the CD makes a nice accompaniment to the film — expanding and elaborating on the spoof concept. If you were picking it up cold, however, without a clue as to who Everclean really is, you might wonder what's going on.
It's very well done for what it is. But whether you like what it is might depend on whether you buy into the boy-band parody of the movie.