Call it the gradual acceleration of Fastball. The Austin-based trio's debut, Make Your Mama Proud, was mostly forgettable, anonymous alternative pop. Their sophomore release, All the Pain Money Can Buy, upped the ante with more confident songwriting and a bona fide classic in "The Way." Album number three is The Harsh Light of Day, by no means a classic but another step forward. The first single, "You're an Ocean," benefits from a sky-high hook and the infectious piano pounding of Billy "Get Back" Preston.
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