“I know things change.”

Anyone who has followed the career of Buffalo’s own Goo Goo Dolls knows how things can change. From their 1986 inception as a alt-punk-metal outfit, the Goo’s have fit just about any rock genre you can think of: alt-trash, college rock, alt-rock, post-grunge, pop-rock, adult alternative, and most recently, adult contemporary. The heart of the band throughout, as evidenced by their live performances when the amps got turned down in studio, has been a sweet mix of simple riffs, catchy hooks and songwriting that anyone can interpret as self-applicable.

Their last album, 2006′s Let Love In was a push towards the radio fanbase that had been most accepting of them, the Hot AC crowd. It had its dose of success, with the inclusion of hit songs “Better Days” and “Give A Little Bit”, and spawning new hits in “Stay With You” and “Let Love In”, both of which reached the AC Top 10. But compared to what the Goo Goo Dolls had been on track for after 2002′s smooth-but-heavy Gutterflower, there was not much edge to be found. Let Love In’s producer, Glen Ballard, sanded down the corners to make a smooth record that had less of the crunching guitar riffs that the band has made their trademark.

Now, it seems the band is back on track with their new effort, Something For the Rest Of Us.

Principally written at Inner Machine Studios (now called GCR Audio) on Franklin Street in Buffalo, Something For the Rest Of Us finds the band where they probably should have been after Gutterflower. Produced by a team of big names in rock, led by Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam), Butch Vig (Nirvana, Garbage), Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Dizzy Up the Girl, Gutterflower) and John Fields, with efforts from the band itself, the album sounds like the same band that created 90′s rock masterpieces Superstar Car Wash and A Boy Named Goo, but farther down the maturation line.

Originally intended for release near the end of 2009, numerous delays led to the band reopening a few songs, and eventually reworking all of them. What is left is arguably the Goo Goo Dolls’ best work since their multi-platinum selling 1998 release, Dizzy Up the Girl. Singing about what they always knew best (love, life and disillusionment), Something finds John Rzeznik and Robby Takac at the top of their game, looking at the world around them and talking in ways that the rest of us can relate.

Kicking off with “Sweetest Lie”, their album starting trademark big opening riff rock song, the Buffalo-natives show immediately they’re comfortably back in their rock shoes. Rzeznik introspectively watches a girl make a fool of herself and ignore him, only to think that if given the chance, he could fix her problems in classic Goo Goo Dolls fashion. The simple riff and catchy chorus featuring Motown-esque harmonies make this song hit-worthy, and would have fit well on any record the band has put out since 1990.

The next song “As I Am” is a solid track, in which the band checks back to their Let Love In style, with the edge on the studio version of the song not quite as rough as the Goo’s live rendition. This just sets up the album’s first single, “Home”, which Rzeznik admits was a song he wrote for the album after the initial attempt. “Home”, a moody-yet-rousing rocker with poignant lyrics about being isolated from the place you want to be is right up the alley of what makes the band so successful. Easily relatable to anyone, immediately enjoyable and a chronic “ear worm” song, it’s a classic example of why so many accept the band’s work into their own lives.

Unfortunately for “Home”, it gets upstaged on the album immediately by the following track. An intentional title spelling, “Notbroken” may be the song that thrusts the band back into some of the stardom they enjoyed in the late 90′s. A potential mega-hit, chart-topping single (many expect it be the follow up to “Home”), the song’s emotional declaration of feelings may be sappy to some, but the brilliance of the song is undeniable. In a similar vein to “Iris”, the band’s biggest hit ever, “Notbroken” is arguably more powerful, more rocking and more identifiable than the song the Goo’s are most well-known for. By far the highlight of the album, the track makes you wonder if John Rzeznik will ever lose his golden touch when it comes to writing hit songs.

“One Night” almost gets overlooked because of this, and it’s a bit of a shame. It is the first of a run of four tracks of classic, but well-aged Goo Goo Dolls guitar rock. It is trailed by “Nothing Is Real”, a potential single with some of the most interesting lyrics on the record. Rzeznik sings “Nothing is real/It’s all what you believe/Something you dream inside your head” in what could be a matured version of a cross between “Cuz You’re Gone” and “Girl Right Next To Me” from Superstar Car Wash, which is no small feat considering that record was released almost 17 years ago.

Next, “Now I Hear”, one of Takac’s two contributions to the album, could very well be one of the finest songs he’s ever been the voice to. Followed by “Still Your Song”, a Rzeznik ode to a past love, the heart of the order on Something For the Rest Of Us is stronger than anything the band’s done in the last decade.

After a relatively average title track (something that would’ve fit well on the last record), the band finishes up with another strong reminder that they can still rock. “Say You’re Free” (featuring a very “So Far Away”-esque intro) is another good effort from Robby Takac, more than enough to make you wonder why he only contributed two tracks this time around. “Hey Ya” (not an OutKast cover, for what it’s worth) is a look at what some of the songs on Let Love In could’ve been with some better production. A slow opening leads to an incredibly simple but incredibly powerful chorus and a brilliant build up to a subdued ending.

The last track, “Soldier”, a more direct reference to the topics John Rzeznik has said he wrote much of the album about, is one of those songs show why anyone can enjoy the band’s work. A somber, piano driven introduction leads to a tale of seeing a loved one struggle to adapt to life. Another classic ear-worm, with a supportive chorus (“I know things change/Your world has slipped away/I know things change/But you’re living like a soldier who’s caught in the fray/Don’t lose your faith/It’s not so cold/It’s not too late”) can be identifiable for anyone in America who’s watching the world slowly fade around them.

Something For the Rest Of Us can end up being a huge success for the band, or even just proof that they still know what they’re capable of. They aren’t the band they once were, and with this, it seems everyone should be okay with that. We know things change. But as the Goo Goo Dolls tell us, it’s not too late.