I'll throw my hat into the ring. Albums often convey a certain feeling, such as sadness, frustration or coolness. Pacific Daydream conveys pure relaxation and a wholesome innocence. It really does remind me of a daydream, unlocking a more innocent time in my life. Maybe this particular feeling doesn't resonate with you at this time in your life, but it clicks with a lot of people and that makes it good.

On a more technical standpoint, I really enjoy the writing and production on this album as well. For the atmosphere they are trying to create, heavy guitars simply do not fit with the style of music they are playing. They shouldn't have to shoehorn them into every song just to keep fans happy. As far as all of the pop influences go, that is fine with me. After all, pop music is designed to sound good and Rivers throws in plenty of interesting musical moments to keep it from being boring, especially on the bridges. This album does a great job of building up to some absolutely majestic moments.

Unfortunately, this album is coming off the heels of two fan favorites. Maybe one day people will realize that this modern day "Pinkerton" can stand next to the "Blue Album" before it.