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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Harsh Light of Day
by Fastball


9.5

based on 11 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

LABEL:	Hollywood
RELEASE DATE:	19 September 2000
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Alternative, Pop

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Spin Cycle

Their third release has no apparent monster single like "The Way," but the recording as a whole contains a higher number of strong songs. It rocks harder, and the band's previously overpowering influences--most notably Elvis Costello--are now beautifully integrated into a more developed and identifiable sound.

Wall of Sound

Well-constructed but largely uninspiring... Its lyrics offer little that's dynamic or artful, so what are listeners really left with? Decent melodies, to be sure, and nicely produced tracks... But deep down, the music and lyrics rarely match up, and few songs establish a mood for long enough to hang your heart on.

Entertainment Weekly

Fastball are, in general, a little wobbly on this CD, but their aim is true often enough to suggest that once they get the guest star syndrome out of their system, the hits could keep on coming.

MTV.com

Overall, Harsh doesn't lack for bright spots or catchy melodies, but ultimately, it doesn't move me.

HOB.com

[I]f anything this album is less rock than the last one, while the droves of extra instruments are used more as decoration than as tools to create broad soundscapes.... Ultimately this album might be a step forward for Fastball, but they end up in essentially the same place.

Sonicnet

Traditionalist rock fans have got to be cheered by Fastball, a group plucky enough to take on teenage pop bands and rap-rock sensations with perky harmonies and piles of guitars. But in the end, songs like these shine brightest outside of the album context, as stand-alone songs coming out of the dashboard radio.

All Music Guide

With each multi-layered cut, the trio shows pop songwriting skills not often seen in such cookie-cutter times -- especially in the particularly staid field of alt-rock.... this bold album takes you on an aural adventure of strings, guitars, and hooks paired with intelligent lyrics and taut instrumentation.

Rolling Stone

The only significant change from their breakthrough effort, 1998's All the Pain Money Can Buy, is more expensive, expansive-sounding production and an increasingly overt Beatles influence in both the songs and sonics.

CDNow

With its brand of easily accessible pop rock, the Austin, Texas-based trio presents an extremely likable musical front that's based more upon influence than innovation.

Spin

The Harsh Light of Day is being sold as a Great Album, which means ubersongcraft, which means the Beatles, and keep that pedigree coming. [Oct 2000, p.173]

Checkout.com

Does the world really need another mediocre pop-rock album rife with trite lyrics, aimless melodies and bloated production?

The average user rating for this album is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jeff H gave it a 10:
I think this album as a whole in better than All the Pain Money Can Buy. Funny how it fades away is one of the best songs I've heard. Whatever gets you one is a very nice finish to this seemless album.

Colleen J. gave it a 9:
This is one of those albums that doesn't catch you immediately, like All The Pain Money Can Buy did. Instead, it requires the listener to go through the CD a few times, and by that time, one could be so hooked on it that they cannot stop listening to it for long periods of time. All in all, I find this to be a very good album, and I fully recommend listening to their previous two albums, as well as their new live record "Live at Jupiter Records."

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The Harsh Light of Day by Fastball

The Harsh Light of Day
by Fastball