Wow, color me surprised (which in this case would be a dark red). I decided to trust history writing The Cranberries off as a three-hit wonder responsible for the classic singles “Dreams,” “Linger,” and “Zombie.” I may have to stop doing this, because history almost prevented me from discovering one of the ’90s‘s better alternative pop rock albums, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?

Like many contemporaries, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? bases itself in the jangly guitars of the late ’80s, a style that was pumping out increasingly popular singles towards the decade’s end. Noel Hogan’s guitar chords glisten with a modest but undeniable beauty as Dolores O’Riordan’s shy, ethereal vocals accompany them, giving the album an airy weightlessness that’s akin to The Sundays’ brand of dream pop.

But unlike the aforementioned band, O’Riordan is not without occasionally rising up to show resilience in the face of the album’s darker and more introspective moments. No song is a better example than “Dreams,” the indisputable highlight and in my objective opinion one of the best pop songs ever made. Seriously, when I inevitably become famous and a movie is made about my life, I want this song to play as I stand on the side of the highway gazing over the horizon behind my shoulders towards the blue sky with a grin and glint of hope on my face as the scene fades out to the credits.

“Linger” is the album’s other classic, with O’Riordan’s pleading “do you have to?” being able to connect with anyone’s own experiences. “Waltzing Back” is the best deep cut here, with O’Riordan’s vocal delivery being true to the song’s name and supplying appreciated idiosyncrasy. I’m also a big fan of “Still Can’t…”, with its alt-country vibe and synthesizers—a sure sign of pop smarts, as I guarantee you most people didn’t even notice the synthesizers thanks to Stephen Street’s production resulting in a perfect pop concoction. You’d expect this quality of work from the same man who worked with The Smiths.

In my mind, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? is the sister album to New Miserable Experience, and the rival cousin to Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, and as such I would go ahead and fully recommend the album to a fan of either of the two. Truly an underappreciated 90’s alternative rock gem that unfortunately made too many enemies with music dorks due to their songs’ omnipresence on the radio since their release. But there’s a reason for that: they really are that good.