Hootie and the Blowfish

Remember Hootie? Of course you do. It’s been nearly a decade since everyone in America was required to buy a copy of Cracked Rear View, and their latest effort shows exactly how far they’ve come since then: not very. With the exception of the playa-hatin’ ode, “Little Brother,” which has a ’70s lite-funk vibe not dissimilar to frontman Darius Rucker’s widely ignored solo album, and the heavy country twang of “Little Darlin’,” most of Hootie recalls a simpler, angst-free time. Rucker’s voice is undeniably soulful, but the songs are so lightweight they’re in danger of floating away. “I’ve broke down for my lost brother, and I’ve died for mama too,” Rucker sings on “Tears Fall Down,” as if neither activity took much out of him. Even the break-up songs sound happy-go-lucky. “You need a little space and I need mine” is the most damning jab Rucker can deliver on the upbeat “Space.” Amid the ever-shifting sands of popular music, it’s comforting to know some things never change: Hootie and the Blowfish are the same inoffensive, white-bread bar band they’ve always been.