“Drops in Jupiter” by Train

Even though I called this band the worst Soft Rock act of the modern era (and I stand by that statement), even a terrible band can still have one good song. Granted, their early stuff in general wasn’t as horrible as “Hey Soul Sister” and “Drive By”, but it wasn’t exactly auspicious either. Still, this one Grammy-winning modern classic pretty much represents their all-time peak. Train are usually compared to Nineties Adult Alternative pioneers the Counting Crows, sometimes to the point of borderline plagiarism, but this monolithic, sweeping ballad sounds more reminiscent of Elton John (specifically, his Madman Across the Water album). The lyrics do feature one example of the bizarre word choices that would become their hallmark (an out-of-nowhere line comparing love to ‘deep fried chicken’), but apart from that, they rein in their lyrical problems for the most part. Even after the huge undeserved success they’ve achieved in the last few years, this still ranks as Train’s biggest hit, and it’s certainly the only song of theirs to deserve that status. I guess it stands as proof that even this idiot pack are capable of pulling it all together for one great moment.

Verdict: Good

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