The band encourages a friend to bounce back from hard times on “Up, Up, Up” (“I’m heading for the clouds . . . It only takes a second to make a change that’s gonna last”). “What a Scene” questions the celebrity merry-go-round which tells riders to glean their worth from public image, money and other things that don’t last. Though short on answers, “Truth Is a Whisper” seeks meaning in life and inner peace. One romantic tussle ends happily (“Smash”). Another concludes that reconciliation can’t happen with both parties “lost in anger” (“What Do You Need”). “Sympathy” apologizes for misplaced priorities that created relational conflict. Nevertheless . . .
The song also includes one mild profanity.
John Rzeznik, Robby Takac and Mike Malinin make up this band, which has been around for more than 15 years. In the ’90s, their CDs A Boy Named Goo and Dizzy Up the Girl went multiplatinum. Now Gutterflower—the Goo Goo Dolls’ first all-new studio recording since 1998—looks to extend that hit streak. But only if fans are eager to sing the blues. Despite being positive in spots and virtually free of noteworthy negatives, this project specializes in mournful tunes short on uplift.
