With the new release, “Slow Motion Daydream,” veteran 90s rock band Everclear is back with an attempt to shed the pop skin of its past few releases and dig back to its rocker roots.

The first single off of “Slow Motion Daydream,” titled, “Volvo Driving Soccer Mom,” is sort of an awkward piece. The song isn’t cheesy as the title may suggest; it’s about a bad girl turned good.

The lyrics, “You know I used to be the bad girl, I got gang banged in the bathroom at my high school prom,” pretty much sums up this raw, straightforward song. However, Art Alexakis and the rest of the boys of Everclear choose a weak way to present this entertaining song.

At times, “Volvo Driving Soccer Mom,” rocks out nicely as if it could easily fit into the band’s first couple of releases. Other times, the poppy, “nah-nah, nah-nah,” chorus gets in the way and may make you embarrassed to be listening to the song. It could be a good song, but Everclear seems to be trying too hard to dress it up.

With this said, the remainder of the album is a solid effort.

The second track, “Blackjack,” starts out hard (or as hard as Everclear gets these days) and the band tears through a fast-paced rip allegedly dissing Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Following “Blackjack” is the song “I Want to Die a Beautiful Death.”

This is Everclear at its best.

It has always had a great way of taking something dark and turning it around and romanticizing it. That’s exactly what it did with its first big hit, “Santa Monica (Watch the World Die),” and the band does it again here.

“I Want to Die a Beautiful Death” doesn’t have any one element that will suck you in, and that is what’s great about it. The band doesn’t try too hard with it; it just lets the guitars, drums, and lyrics naturally meld together.

In the second half of “Slow Motion Daydream” Everclear slows things down a bit.

The songs are stripped down and have a nice feel. However, as the album draws to a close, the pace has a droning, depressive cycle to it. It may take a couple of listens to survive the whole album.

“Slow Motion Daydream” is a decent effort from Everclear.

It’s solid rock.

It’s got some good tunes.

It sounds like what Everclear sounds like.

Everclear isn’t being progressive or treading new music territory, but at least you know what to expect.