Five For Fighting - Message for Albert

Five For Fighting's first (and best) album.

Capitol Records re-released this album after the success of America Town, but it has since gone out-of-print again. I had to visit several indie record stores before wrangling myself a used copy!1. Bella's Birthday Cake
2. Day by Day
3. The Garden
4. Ocean
5. Happy
6. Love Song
7. Wise Man
8. White Picket Fence
9. 2 Frogs
10. 10 Miles from Nowhere
11. Last Great American
12. (European B-Side)

All Music Guide Review:

Led by child prodigy and multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter John Ondrasik, Five for Fighting's debut album Message for Albert is an intelligent, well-crafted collection of brooding mid-tempo songs. Delving deep into Billy Joel meets Ben Folds meets Satchel territory, Ondrasik has the uncanny ability to take beautiful melodies like the simple piano phrasing of "Day By Day" and weave them into stunning, multi-layered vocal arrangements replete with gorgeous string crescendos, each playing off each other like a well-oiled machine. "The Garden," undeniably Message for Albert's epic, is yet another impressive heavily orchestrated show piece that rises above its humble lyrics escalating into a full-blown "New York State of Mind" type of arrangement sprinkled with religious metaphors. "Happy" is one of those odd time signature ditties that eerily resembles Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years." And finally, there's the remarkable "Love Songs." Lamentful, charming, and urgent, "Love Songs" hints at Ondrasik's ability to completely envelop songs with his voice (later developed on the band's sophomore offering). A promising debut that sadly lost its shot when EMI spontaneously combusted after the record's release. ~ John Franck, All Music Guide