Sum 41
Writing songs for movie soundtracks and escaping the trappings of pop-punk to release a metal-tinged album may have given Sum 41 lead singer/songwriter Deryck Whibley a feeling of freedom and independence. Being able (and apparently all-too-willing) to pull from punk bands like NOFX and Green Day, skate bands like The Offspring, pop-punk icons Blink-182, and metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest while writing songs, Whibley’s across-the-board tendencies have led fans to debate as to which category best defines the band’s style.
Apparently realizing his true gift of songwriting laid in writing the pop-punk anthem, Whibley returned his band to its roots with the release of Underclass Hero.
Take five parts Blink-182 and add in one part Green Day, and Sum 41′s latest is exactly the kind of album that fans of the band should have expected all along. It is probably the band’s best release to date and it is sure to fill the void left by Blink and occupy the airtime of alt radio stations across America – until Green Day’s next release reminds people that there is a difference between pop-punk and punk-pop.
The title track opens the new record and immediately mixes in the Blink Day (or is that Green-182?) influences. It is a pop-punk ditty that tries to incorporate the social and political agenda that Green Day captured with American Idiot, even going so far as to parrot Billie Joe Armstrong’s backing “announcement” from the song “Holiday.” He even starts the announcement with the words “May I have your attention please,” just as Armstrong did. Whibley continues: “I pledge allegiance to the underclass and your hero at large.”
Back to the vocals, Whibley rails against those who might classify the new millionaire (and husband of platinum-selling artist Avril Lavigne) as some sort of lower class citizen: “We’re the saints of degeneration. We don’t owe anyone an explanation. F*ck elitists. We don’t need this. We’re the elite of just alright.”
“Walking Disaster” is carved almost exclusively from the Blink hit “Miss You.” The mellow, ethereal introduction with wispy, angelic backing vocals screams for comparison. A similarly styled homage continues through songs like “Speak of the Devil” and “Dear Father” before the Offspring comparisons kick in with “Count Your Last Blessings.”
The album’s most interesting song, however, has got to be the 55-second ditty “Ma Poubelle,” which is recorded entirely in French. It is oddly out of place on the album and really breaks up the continuity of the record, but it is actually quite catchy.
The Green Day effect kicks in shortly thereafter with songs like “March of the Dogs” and “The Jester”. Both songs sound as if they were written while Whibley had American Idiot on repeat on his iPod. The worst case of Green Day envy, however, is reserved for the song “King of Contradiction.” Clocking in at a Green Day-esque 1:40, the track is the “St. Jimmy” of Underclass Hero.
Of course, the album would not be complete without the tributes to his new wife. Having married Lavigne in July 2006, Whibley obliges his new wife with two songs: “With Me” and “Best of Me”. Both heartfelt songs expressing his devotion to the love of his life, they are classic Blink love songs.
All in all, Underclass Hero is not a bad album. All the songs are well-written and most are catchy enough to cause the average listener to want to hear them over and over again. But the first thing that Whibley has to do before he starts writing his next album is find his entire collection of Green Day and Blink-182 records and throw them out. Almost every song on this record succeeds in ripping off the style or sound of one of those two bands and there is nothing subtle about the hold-up. Expect a good number of songs from this album to find their way onto modern rock radio stations. Just expect a lot of fans to call up the local deejay and ask to hear that new Blink-182 song or that b-side from Green Day instead of giving it a proper attribution.
Review By Ed Thompson of IGN Review
Artist: Sum 41
Album: Discography
Genre: Punk / Rock
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sum41
-Album List-
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Four Year Strong
“It’s not big and it’s not clever.”
We’ve all been told this numerous times, usually along with a disapproving speech following from some utterly inane and peculiar act of nonsense we’ve just committed. However, my response to this has always been: “No, but it’s fun,” and what’s true for life more often than not proves to be true for music as well. Bands like All Time Low and Mayday Parade are as disposable and lacking in insight as music can possibly get, but goddamn they’re fun to listen to. And sing to. And after a few drinks dance like a maniac to. The pinnacle of this sensation has always been the cover album. Two years ago it was New Found Glory with From the Screen to Your Stereo – Part II and now Four Year Strong are taking some time to entertain us, with this collection of covers of tracks from the ’90s (bar one sneaking in from the new millenium). I was discussing this album with a friend of mine, and she mentioned that the album felt uninspired to her. Now maybe I’ve not got the highest expectations, but when it comes to a covers album, I’m really not expecting to be inspired. I’m expecting a little bit of fun from a band playing around with some of their favourite songs from their youth, often just acting as a stop-gap because the new album is taking a little longer to write than you’d expect. In all fairness to my friend, she’s right. Anyone who likes their music full of subtle melodic layering, and deep poetic lyrics would do well to steer well clear of this release, but to be honest, I doubt many of those people will rank Four Year Strong particularly highly as a band anyway.
The covers themsleves are an interesting choice. Rather than go for the usual pop staples like Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and so many bands before them, Explains It All instead chooses to aim for the more alternative selection, and as such, many of the originals may not be as well known. When I first saw the tracklist a few months ago I remember thinking I’d only heard of three of the songs: Alanis Morisette’s “Ironic,” Nirvana’s “In Bloom” and No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs” but Four Year Strong have pulled off the age old trick of picking all those ones you knew but you never knew you knew. Third-Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Nine Days both leapt immediately back into my brain, and I could have sworn I didn’t know a single Del Amitri song until “Roll to Me” rolled along. Thankfully, for the most part, Four Year Strong have managed to succeed in keeping the spirit of the originals while staying true to their own sound. The slow intro to “Ironic” bounds effortlessly into a breathless chorus and second verse in true double-bass-pedal glory, while “In Bloom” sounds so much fuller than it ever did before.
The difficulty with any covers album is that inevitably not all of the songs are going to appeal to everyone. Even picking a genre of similar artists, each and every song will be picked upon by someone. From a personal perspective, my dislike of The Smashing Pumpkins means I could do without “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” and although I’ve never heard the original, “She Really Loved You” comes across as dull and generic. Similarly, some of the songs aren’t really suited for a Four Year Strong style cover, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” being a prime example. “Fly” is also very nearly ruined by the ever-irritating Travis McCoy, and in truth, barely holds up in this new style, and “So Much for the Afterglow” comes across as much more derivative than it truly is. However, these few songs are offset by the remaining majority, which are fun, fast-paced and simple.
The strengths of the original songs have been maintained in the new versions here, but herein lies some of the difficulty. The only change that Four Year Strong have really made is generally to up the tempo. In some instances that’s enough – I never really liked “In Bloom” or “Spiderwebs,” but here they propelled into your ear-drums with such fury that the lifelessness of the original is soon forgotten. In general though, the similarity of the songs is stark, suggesting a worrying lack of creativity in the construction of the covers. This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. As stated above, the point of this album is as a bit of fun. There will be no support slot for Radiohead following this album (a fact which I’m sure will delight fans of both bands) and Conor Oberst is unlikely to come calling for tips on his lyrical content. Not everyone will like this album, and those that do won’t find themselves listening to it non-stop. However, when you’re in the right mood at the right time, you find yourself realising Four Year Strong have crafted 40 minutes of near consistent enthusiasm which can’t help but bring a smile to your face. So no, Explains It All may not be big, and it may not be clever, but it’s so much fun to listen to it really doesn’t matter.
Review By AbsolutePunk.net
Artist: Four Year Strong
Album: Explains It All [2009]
Genre: Post-Hardcore / Punk Rock
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong
-Track List-
01. So Much For The Afterglow 2:50
02. Absolutely (Story Of A Girl) 2:55
03. Ironic 2:48
04. Bullet With Butterfly Wings 3:04
05. Semi-Charmed Life 3:29
06. Spiderwebs 3:03
07. Roll To Me 2:26
08. Fly 3:48
09. In Bloom 3:34
10. She Really Loved You 2:00
11. She’s So High
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Brand New
Artist: Brand New
Album: Discography
Genre: Rock / Punk Rock
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brandnew
-Album List-
DOWNLOAD ALBUM: BRAND NEW – THE DEVIL & GOD ARE RAGING INSIDE ME
DOWNLOAD ALBUM: BRAND NEW – YOUR FAVORITE WEAPON
DOWNLOAD ALBUM: BRAND NEW – DEJA ENTENDU
DOWNLOAD: BRAND NEW – SAFETY IN NUMBERS SPLIT
DOWNLOAD EP: BRAND NEW – THE HOLIDAY (EP)
NEW! TRY ALBUM: BRAND NEW – DAISY