The vanquished vocals and semi-quirky guitar chords of "Good" gave
Better Than Ezra their quick plunge into stardom, but it wasn't long before the band was towel dried and then forgotten. 1995's
Deluxe failed to administer any musical congruity, helped along only by the gear-switching tempo of "In the Blood," the second best track on the album, as well as the tempting pull of "Southern Girl." Unfortunately, beyond these songs the album falls flat, suffering from a cliched garage band/alternative band dullness. Any hints of originality are drawn into the relentless vortex of banal guitar routines and run-of-the-mill college radio grit. The lyrics are passable, but cease to secrete any interest or the same amount of sharpness as the first two singles.
Better Than Ezra are just another example of a band that suffered from the redundancy of a stereotypical rock formula. ~ Mike DeGagne