This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Oh, they’ll be getting some soon. Airplay, that is. Along with chart positions. And sales.
Clearly, Montreal pop-punk quintet Simple Plan are being groomed for bigger things. This sophomore set was helmed by none other than superstar producer Bob Rock, who polishes these 11 tracks to his usual seamless, shiny gloss. Every power chord rings crunchily. Every chorus sticks in your head like an eyebrow piercing. Every harmony sounds like a choir. Every drum beat reverberates like it was recorded in an empty stadium. And every one of these well-honed cuts bypasses the pit and makes a headlong dash for the toppermost of the poppermost. On the downside, even Bob can’t help these guys write songs that don’t sound like they were plagiarized from the final exam for a course in Corporate Punk 101. From the standard onslaught of adolescent angst to the cliche closing ballad complete with strings, this 38-minute set definitely follows its own simple plan — even if they aren’t getting any more original.
