KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * *
You have to give it to Montreal's pop punk upstarts Simple Plan, they sure know how to find a good record producer.
Their self-titled third album sounds as polished and, well, ballsy as the biggest rock records around. And despite the cliches, like the whining "Misery loves company" line on first track and single When I'm Gone, they write hooky tunes.
It's no wonder they left the St James Theatre in tatters and the rabid young crowd panting for more after their last tour here in 2005 in support of second album Still Not Getting Any ....
But there's a difference between coming up with catchy, floor-bending tunes and writing songs that last. And listening to the band's new album (it's presumably self-titled to reflect their - ever so slightly - more mature approach this time round) makes you wonder what sort of lifespan predictable anthems like The End and Generation have.
They scale the heights of plagiarism on Your Love Is A Lie which sounds terribly like Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams in parts.
Still, the sad thing is you can bet next time they come to town they'll tear the venue to shreds.
Label: Atlantic
Verdict: Sounding more and more like the Nickelback of pop punk every day
