Ok, ok, I know exactly what you’re thinking. ‘Why the hell is Punktastic reviewing the new Simple Plan record’? The simple answer? Because I can. Whilst I thought their last album was the aural equivalent of a dogshit sandwich, the good news, should there be any, is that ‘Still Not Getting Any’ is a massive improvement. That is, of course, if you take it for what it is, and what it is, essentially, is a pop record. The good news for pop-punk fans is that this record actually contains three or four perky gems that make this record worth reviewing, although certainly not worthy of a purchase. In short, if you disliked Simple Plan before, this record won’t change your mind.
With producer Bob Rock (yes, him of Metallica fame) at the production helm, this record was always going to be beefier sound-wise. Don’t expect anything too heavy mind, but the guitar tones are certainly less sugary and disposable than first time round. Pierre’s vocals haven’t changed too much mind you, the words ‘saccharine sweet‘ were probably invented for this French-Canadian frontman. So, I’ve skirted around the edges for too long – just what is this record like? For the most part it’s pretty dire – there’s too many boring ballads and the lyrics sound like they were written by a disillusioned nine year old – but rip out the crap and you’ve got an EP’s worth of decent songs that Good Charlotte and New Found Glory fans will really like.
Opener ‘Shut Up!’ is a damn good spriteley pop song which will have kids pogo-ing on next year’s Warped Tour, while ‘Thank You’ and ‘Jump’ are also tracks that could pass for other bands with a few more ‘punk’ credentials. There are, however, way too many borrowed moments. The guitar parts are ripped from Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne in places (during one song you can actually sing ‘My Happy Ending’ – not that I know the words mind…), while in another track the vocal melody is swiftly stolen from ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Yes, that sound you just heard was Kurt rolling in his grave.
At the end of the day this is a pop band that, for various reasons, has misguidedly masqueraded as a pop-punk band. On the strength of a couple of songs here you can see why some people may have that notion – but let’s face it, 95% of the people reading this will not be fooled. Although Lava will no doubt slap a lawsuit on my ass for saying it, there’s no need to buy this when you can download a couple of the songs which are actually worth your time and energy. Incidentally, this is a dual-disc release so one disc has a CD on one side and interactive bits on the other. I borrowed a workmate’s copy (to do this review) and it didn’t work in my three-year-old CD player. And they say internet piracy is killing the music industry…
www.simpleplan.com
Lava
Paul