2000 Great Songs #1220: Engine Red

Nashville power-pop band The Shazam quickly established themselves as something special on their self-titled 1997 debut, with particularly catchy yet muscular tracks that conjured early Cheap Trick and Material Issue. I personally prefer the next album, where a healthy dose of Sweet-flavored glam enlivened the mix (and the songwriting was almost ridiculously great), but plenty to love here. "Engine Red" is, at least musically, a more straightforward, jangly power pop track than some of their beefier stuff; but it's also pretty funny, a gleeful take on the party guest who overdoes it. No claims to greatness here, just a fun little earworm with killer hooks.

Live 2016: