FRICTION, BABY (TAN COLOURED VINYL)

Any album that takes its title from a Keith Richards
quote ("Friction, baby" was his response to an
interviewer asking him what the secret was behind
the durability of his partnership with Mick Jagger)
has a lot going for it from the get-go...and a certain
responsibility to live up to the legacy of the
Glimmer Twins. Thankfully, this 1996 album from
the celebrated New Orleans alternative rock band
Better Than Ezra doesn't monkey (man) around.
On the heels of their success with Deluxe, BTE
actually had a real recording budget for the
first time, and, with the help of producer Don
Gehman (R.E.M., Hootie and the Blowfish), they
successfully merged songwriter Kevin Griffin's
Southern boy pop with the heavy guitar sound
of the era to form a college radio wet dream of
a record spearheaded by the hits "King of New
Orleans" and "Desperately Wanting." Tan vinyl
pressing complete with hidden track, with
printed inner sleeve. Fully authorized by the
band...Ezralites, rejoice!