This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Once upon a time back in the mid-’90s, Juliana Hatfield was pop’s anointed It Girl — complete with cover stories, innuendo about her and Evan Dando, and plenty of gossip about the fact she was supposedly a virgin well into adulthood.
Then, like so many others, she went from It Girl to Whatever Happened To? faster than a Menudo member. Whether that was the best thing or the worst that could have happened to her is up for debate. But there’s no denying that despite the hype, she has made some great power-pop over the years. Much of it can be found on Gold Stars, a new best-of that covers her decade-long solo career. Along with fan faves like My Sister, Universal Heartbeat and Everybody Loves Me But You, Gold Stars compiles a few sorta rare tracks (including her cover of Every Breath You Take), unreleased fare (including the scratchy Fade Away from her lost album God’s Foot) and four newish cuts (including the hopeful ballad We Will Rise Again). Which should be enough to convince you that Juliana has It, even if she no longer is It.
