''Fool's Paradise'' is the first major studio album released by Christian

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band Monday Morning. It was released on August 30, 2005 through Selectric Records. The album features their single "Wonder of It All (Next Year)", which was the 9th most played song on Christian

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

in 2006.

Music and lyrics

The band has labeled their major musical influences

Silverchair Silverchair was an Australian Rock music, rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, with Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, Ben Gillies on drums, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got thei ...

, U2,

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

, and

Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guit ...

. The song "Blind" is about

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, while "Can't Go On" discusses the topic of

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

Release

''Fool's Paradise'' was the band's major record label debut; it was released on August 30, 2005 through Selectric Records, which was the band's first album through the label. The album's

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, "Wonder of It All (Next Year)" was played on Christian radio in 2006, and became the year's 9th most-played song on Christian

Reception

''Fool's Paradise'' received mixed reviews from music critics, although its reception was relatively positive. Brian Jones of

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said that the album was overall "well done and heartfelt", adding, "At times they recycle the same hooks and it becomes a little redundant. I think these guys have way too much talent to have to recycle licks and become repetitive." The album's musical style has been compared to U2, specifically on the track "Wonder of It All (Next Year)". '' Christian Music Today'' editor Russ Breimeier concluded his review with, "there are some impressive flashes of rock intensity and melodic hooks on Fool's Paradise that are compromised by other more formulaic and predictable tracks." ''

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'' magazine was more negative towards it: "Unfortunately Monday Morning follow in the footsteps of bands like Radialangel and Stereo Motion in creating an album which fizzes loudly but never really explodes into anything memorable. Everything is in place as you'd expect ... none of the songs sound like anything you haven't heard already a hundred times." Jesus Freak Hideout's Lauren Summerford said that the band offered a "pleasant rock sound".

Cover

In a 2006 interview with Jesus Freak Hideout, lead vocalist Derek Stipe said of the album artwork:

True art has its own meaning for each person who views it. It's very symbolic, and to me has a meaning very similar to the album title. Paradise lost, but we still can't get enough.

Track listing

#"Sunshine" #"Dear You" #"Can't Go On" #"These Eyes" #"Vanity" #"Wonder of It All (Next Year)" #"Until the End" #"Tonight" #"Blind" #"Desperate" #"Breakaway" #"Stand" #"Tear Me From You"

References

{{Authority control 2005 albums Monday Morning (band) albums