No Pads, Helmets...Just Balls in Bloomington, MN

The members of
Simple Plan
don't have anything new to say, but at least it sounds like they're having a good time saying it. They're so full of pep and energy that they even seem to be having fun even when they're singing "God must hate me" or proclaiming that "life is a nightmare." Granted, they sing mostly about typical adolescent trauma -- their philosophy is best expressed in
"I'm Just a Kid"
when they bemoan that "the world is having more fun than me" -- but they do seem to have the knack for putting these issues into words.
doesn't break any new ground and doesn't stay revved on all cylinders all the time. This probably won't move you if you consider bands such as
blink-182
and
Sum 41
to be too mainstream for your tastes, and you might also be disappointed if you're searching for the perfect
pop
record. But if you're interested in an unpretentious collection of reasonably catchy and energetic songs, then you might want to consider this album. ~ Todd Kristel