Mark McGrath

You hear that voice and you’re instantly back in Newport Beach, circa 1997. As the frontman for Sugar Ray, Mark McGrath helmed a string of world-conquering singles like “Fly” and “Every Morning,” defining the sound of California pop-rock for a generation. But his solo work, kicking off with 2020’s “Someday,” flies almost completely under the radar. These songs aren’t a reinvention; they’re a distillation of his craft, stripping everything back to the essentials: that effortlessly cool cadence, an ear for an unshakable hook, and a pure, uncut belief in the power of the three-minute summer jam. It’s the architect, working without the machine.