It's been a hard road to hoe for Dada. Almost immediately before the tour in promotion of their last album, the dynamite El Subliminoso, the label they recorded for went under. Guitarist/ vocalist Mike Gurley developed tendinitis and carpal- tunnel syndrome in his fretting hand. But with a new deal and a discography full of gems left unmined by tunnel- visioned radio ilk, the band also embody the axiom that proclaims that they who sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Dada are one of the most consistently- inventive guitar bands in contemporary pop music, winsome and clever tunesmiths who blow the likes of Matchbox 20 out of the water with little effort. In an interview conducted months before the recording of Dada began, drummer Phil Leavitt cited' a principal goal of capturing the essence of the band as a live unit, as opposed to cutting the songs onto demos and layering them with overdubs afterwards.

The 13 tracks on Dada mark a mission accomplished. The dual vocal harmonies of Gurley and vocalist/ bassist Joie Calio sound more in sync than ever before, meshing perfectly with the piano on "Sweet Dark Angel" and "Goodbye"'s heartrending strings. "California Gold" makes clever and appropriate use of the hook from War's "Low Riders" (which, if you're as rabid a Cheech and Chong fan as I, you immediately recognize as the opening theme for the masterwork "Up In Smoke.") Dada's past is receding, with a fine future wide open before them. Just as they say on "Where You're Going:" "There's nothing here without you, baby."

-Susan Moll