Hurtsmile is nothing more than the evolution of Gary and Mark Cherone’s Slip Kid from a touring Who cover band to a regular band with its own original material.

And it is, actually, not that strange since the Who were always a key influence for gary Cherone, either in Extreme or in Van Halen. And it is obvious in this album that this influence will follow Cherone permanently.

So the question comes naturally: Is this music that Cherone carries along and is left out of the Extreme latest reincarnation or is it something different? Well, a bit of both. And that’s because Cherone cannot really escape his usual strut (admittedly always welcome) and the funky rock of the Extreme, on the other side, the secondary elements that formed the final outcome are varied and absolutely decisive.

Cherone tried to sustain Extreme’s momentum in some new, original compositions, with different musicians but it is obvious that those musicians have their own personality which they use to graft his identity. Therefore, no matter if the songs “cry out” that they would rather “fit” into an Extreme album, this could never happen. The reason for that is that Nuno is not here (and this is more than obvious) and because the songs lack that unique, playful, entertaining spirit of the Extreme music. Also, because there is an evident general (totally unexpected of Cherone) post-grunge feeling to the music, even if it is only superficial.

So, in conclusion, it is not bad or inadequate at all, however it is a bit uneven if you come to expect what’s naturally expected and it is not even that interesting in any other case.

P.S. The Dylanesque David Faulkner memorial song is somehow interesting, though. You can watch the video for “The Murder Of David Faulkner (4699)” below: