Flavor of the Weak Over the course of my lifetime there have been a handful of records that grabbed me from the first spin, stayed with me during various phases of my life, and continued to make a meaningful impact every time I revisited them. This is one of those albums. American Hi-Fi charmed their way onto the alternative rock scene in 2001 with their breakthrough debut single, “Flavor of the Weak”, that featured big-sounding guitars, paired with a pop sheen to it to ensure it would make an impact on radio. American Hi-Fi was produced by veteran producer, Bob Rock (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), whom the band credits as making their debut “huge-sounding.” This wasn’t just your run of the mill debut rock record that had one or two good songs on it, and was bloated with filler around it. Quite the opposite. American Hi-Fi made a household name out of songwriter/vocalist Stacy Jones and would begin the astonishing rise of one of the more interesting power pop bands to come out of the early 00’s.
The record opens with a wailing guitar sound on “Surround” that quickly bleeds away into some crunchy guitar riffs before Jones admits, “I need a better way to get my head straight / It’s not like anybody would know.” As the punchy song unfolds, American Hi-Fi rally around each of Stacy Jones’ lyrics about getting out of his own head and starting to live life to its fullest. I found this approach to starting the album utterly charming and it could’ve easily been the lead single if the second track wasn’t so damn infectious. “Flavor of the Weak” seemed to be all over the radio even before American Hi-Fi were placed on some prominent touring placements, and this song did them a lot of favors in improving their outlook on the road as well. It has just about everything you’d want in both a lead single and a power pop track. Shimmering lyrics right out of the gate, warm guitars, and a sing-a-long chorus that showcased Stacy Jones’ ability to write an earworm of a song.
The songs that surrounded the only two singles released from the set (“Flavor of the Weak” & “Another Perfect Day”) are a perfect blend of summery power pop rock songs that I fully embraced from their onset. “A Bigger Mood” features some great guitar parts, and an interesting guitar solo from Jamie Arentzen in the latter stages of the track to highlight the band’s chops. “Safer On The Outside” perfected the soft to loud, verse to chorus songwriting approach, and showed that American Hi-Fi were more than capable of crafting meaningful songs throughout their debut. The anthemic chorus of, “Faded in the blackout you left me in / It’s safer on the outside / I’m swimming in / This kerosene it’s hard to breathe / Statics got me down,” sounds as big as it was intended to be, and Jones’ vocals are underrated in this performance.
The bubblegum guitar pop of “I’m A Fool” was perfect for a summer drive down to the boardwalk, while “Hi-Fi Killer” proved that American Hi-Fi were a rock band at their core. “Blue Day” rocks along with a cool swagger to it, and embraces the feeling of being in Hawaii, where many of these songs were initially hashed out by the band. The gritty “My Only Enemy” is a punchy guitar-driven song about a toxic relationship, while the pre-chorus of, “It’s all inside of me / My only enemy / You sucked it out of me / You fucked it outta me,” brings clarity to Jones’ vocal performance.
The ballad of “Don’t Wait For The Sun” was the only song that didn’t grab me initially, but I would learn to appreciate in the sequencing of the record as years would go by. This track is followed by the second and final single to be released from the set, “Another Perfect Day”, that begins with a causally-strummed acoustic guitar before adding in some electric guitars to make for a memorable track. The single never rushes the big payoff in the crescendo, instead it continues to grow bigger and bigger like an unstoppable pop beast of a song.
”Scar” features a great opening fill from Brian Nolan behind the drum kit that helps with setting the tone for the hard-nosed rock song. The abrasive guitar fade away into a summery and picturesque chorus of, “Drag me down again / It’s hard to be your scar / A frozen satellite / You never got that far / It’s hard to be your scar / Be cool like you.” After another stellar guitar solo from Arentzen, the song regains its footing and rocks out with a purpose. “What About Today” is a song in a similar vein as “I’m A Fool” that pleased the power pop crowd that was into comparable bands like Fountains of Wayne and Ash. The closer of “Wall of Sound” is what set American Hi-Fi apart from the plethora of pop rock bands to come out of the late 90’s and early 00’s. It begins cautiously with some breathy vocals from Jones, but when it reaches its crescendo, it’s a marvel to hear. It’s easy to get lost in the “wall of sound” that American Hi-Fi describe in their closing statement, and when the final chords play out, you can’t help but embrace the feeling that it gives you as the song fades into the distance.
American Hi-Fi will always hold a special place in my heart as a record that never tries to be anything it isn’t. It’s a solid slab of power pop songs, dressed in a coating of arena-sized guitars, and it makes for one killer of a debut statement.