Okay, so I bought the UK version with the two extra songs. My take on Semisonic's third cd is that it's more pop than their previous two and that it works. The only shortcoming I found was upon repeated listenings it's too poppy, catchy, simple, whatever you like to call it. This can lead to a premature listening burnout. I collect quite a bit of music each year and I have to say that "All About Chemistry" is a solid pop cd. There are plenty of catchy and memorable songs like "Chemistry", "Act Naturally", "Sunshine & Chocolate", "Get A Grip" and on the UK version, the bonus song "Girlfriend". I have a feeling that radio, record company and the average listening audience is going to overlook this nice cd. I haven't seen a video nor heard any songs on our radio stations here. It's a shame because it seems that Semisonic have something to offer that's fresh. It's worth getting the import with the pink chemistry beakers on the cover and the two extra tracks "Girlfriend" and "Ordinary Life".

I don't usually write reviews, but I felt it necessary to contradict bologna4's statements. I bought this album on a whim, having only sort of liked Feeling Strangely Fine (to be exact, I love five songs on it, and hate the rest).

Are Feeling Strangely Fine and All About Chemistry the same album? Most definitely not. I think the latter is better. Though the energetic rock vibe that make "Closing Time" and "Singing In My Sleep" so classic is sacrificed to a degree, it's all for the sake of maturation. While surely the radio-friendly "Chemistry," "Sunshine & Chocolate" and "Get A Grip" (all, along with several other tracks on the album, alluding heavily to the maturity and immaturity of sex) will be the more popular of the album, I disagree.

The ballads "Act Naturally," "She's Got My Number" and "One True Love" are already classics in my book. There's also a hint of experimentation with the moody "Bed" and out-of-tempo-but-still-cool "Who's Stopping You?" However, by far my favorite track is the drummer-written-but-guitarist-sung "El Matador," who's lyrical and musical maturity is something you will find nothing like on Feeling Strangely Fine or Great Divide.

In conclusion, don't be like me and write this album off as a sell-out follow-up of a one-hit wonder. It's a lot more, and worth fifteen bucks. It hasn't left my CD player in the past two weeks.

I actually heard most of these songs for the first time at their House of Blues concert in Hollywood and afterward I really wanted the album. As with Feeling Strangely Fine, the albums songs are hit and miss for most people. I tend to like their upbeat, poppy songs more, and their harder edged stuff less. I am the type of person who likes to listen to a CD all the way through, and this one is tough for me to do that with. The album has some standouts: Chemistry, Act Naturally, and One True Love are my three favorites. I really do see the progression the band is taking and I think this is great pop, and I just wish they could be a little more consistent. Definitely worth the purchase and the listen.

Semisonic has always made albums which grow on you, and Chemistry is no exception. The band has undergone another major change of sound, much as they did between Great Divide and Feeling Strangely Fine, and thus it may be a bit of an adjustment for long-time fans of the band. This album is marked jointly by what I feel is the best musicianship by the band and by songwriting and production which lacks some of the edginess and intimacy that distinguished many earlier Semisonic songs. Songs like the title track and Follow get a little sugary for my tastes, but other songs like I Wish, Surprise, and She's Got My Number create a warm soundscape without coming off as overly pop. Other songs like El Matador and One True Love would be too sweet if they weren't so good. If you don't generally find anything involving guitars to be too sweet, you will love this album from first listen. If you liked the more electric pop of Singing in My Sleep, buy Great Divide before you buy Chemistry; it's lived in my CD player for 8 years. In any event, Chemistry is an excellent album worth owning.

I heard "Chemistry" on the radio and loved the song, but I typically wait for atleast three songs to come out before I purchase a CD. But I'm glad I broke my own rule on this one. "All About Chemistry" is great and a needed break from the teen pop and rap rock on the radio these days. I can't stop hitting replay on the songs "One True Love", "Act Naturally", "Who's Stopping You", and ofcourse "Chemistry". If you liked the CD Feeling Strangly Fine, you'll soon realize this CD sounds different, but it is still worth your hard earned money.