Five For fighting
The Battle For Everything
Sony/Aware
Essentially singer-songwriter John Ondrasik’s solo project, Five For Fighting shot to fame following the success of the hit single “Superman (It’s Not Easy).” The problem was, the accompanying album didn’t come close to matching the quality of such a great single. Unfortunately, the band’s follow-up, The Battle For Everything, again suffers from the same issue.
With its haunting piano riff and lyrical content, lead-off single “100 Years” is as good anything Ondrasik has ever written. His sweet vocals shine on “If God Made You,” the delicate “Dying” is contemplative and memorable and “Disneyland” captivates with its joyously catchy hook. But it’s frustrating to hear Ondrasik’s talents become bogged down in second-rate MOR efforts, such as “One More For Love,” “Maybe I” and the truly forgettable rocker “The Taste.”
Songwriters such as Ondrasik should have the least to fear from the emergence of iTunes culture. But it’s only songs like “100 Years” that people will pay to download. And, bands like Five For Fighting who produce albums as lopsided as The Battle For Everything will face a fight for their own to survive.
Five for Fighting: [www.fiveforfighting.com/](http://www.fiveforfighting.com/)
