Simple Plan suffers from the same ailment as Avril Lavigne, claiming to be “so punk” when both are clearly the farthest thing from punk. However, many of us know that when our window is rolled up and we’re by ourselves, we belt out their hits because they’re just too catchy.
Nevertheless, it’s the glossy “Top 40” production that rescues Simple Plan’s Still Not Getting Any from drowning in its own overwrought, emotional lyrics (“It’s me against the world”) and lead singer Pierre Bouvier’s nasally wail.
On Simple Plan’s first single “Welcome To My Life,” Bouvier taps into teen angst and actually makes a sincere point: “Do you ever wanna run away?/Do you lock yourself in your room?/With the radio on turned up so loud/That no one hears you screaming.” While on the second single “Shut Up!,” Bouvier is still troubled, but he fights back instead of complaining: “You’re always there to point/Out my mistakes/And shove them in my face/It’s like I’m the one/You love to hate/But not today.” Both songs get stuck in your head.
On the fast-paced “Thank You,” Simple Plan reaches their most punk musical moment while lamenting over a soured friendship: “So thank you for showing me/That best friends can not be trusted/And thank you for lying to me/Your friendship and good/Times we had, you can have them back.”
Bouvier magnifies his undertaking of making it in a world where he’s hated on, when apparently Simple Plan is well-liked by millions, on “Me Against the World:” “I’m a lost cause, not a hero/But I’ll make it on my own/I’ve gotta prove them wrong.”
On “Jump,” which should be named “Shut Up Part 2,” Bouvier wants to hop around to relieve his stressful life.
Meanwhile, the rocking “Promise” finds Bouvier making a plea to clean up his act: “I promise/I won’t let you down/If you take my hand tonight.”
The weepy piano ballad “Untitled” calls for uplifted lighters, and it’s well deserved. Bouvier makes his most honest statements about possible suicide, and you feel his pain: “I made my mistakes/I’ve got no where to run/As I’m fading away/I’m sick of this life/I just wanna scream/How could this happen to me?” During the last chorus, Bouvier elevates his usual whine to full-on wail; his voice strains and breaks, but his attempt is heart-felt and appropriate.
On the infectious “Crazy,” Simple Plan tries to answer life’s questions, but their plight gets bogged down in the melodramatic lyrics: “There’s no more normal families/Parents act like enemies/Making kids feel like it’s World War III.” Are you serious? These kinds of lyrics make you question what you’re listening to, but then those power-pop guitar chords fire off and suck you back in.
Still Not Getting Any shoots for pop-punk glory, but Simple Plan has some growing up to do before gaining anything close to that. The songs on Still Not Getting Any are catchy, but they’re the same old routine over and over, except for surprising gems like “Perfect World” and “Untitled.” Who cares if nothing they sing is actual punk? What they do sing is pop perfection that will produce an excellent greatest hits collection in the future.
*** of *****