Album A Day 02.15.11: Week #28 Pop Punk

Posted by Alistair McGeorge on 02.15.2011

This week, Alistair McGeorge reviews classic albums from New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy, No Use For A Name, Good Charlotte, Bowling For Soup, You Me At Six and Sugarcult.

Welcome back to Album A Day. This week, we're looking at a crop of pop-punk bands that formed a lot of my teenage listening. Some of it is scorned by "real" pop-punk fans, whilst some of it is adored. Some of it isn't even strictly pop-punk, but there's always debate between music fans, whatever the genre.



Week #28

Pop Punk



New Found Glory – Sticks and Stones (2002)

Widely regarded as New Found Glory's best album to date, it's tough to argue with public opinion on Sticks and Stones. A great record from start to finish, it epitomises every aspect of why so many people adore the carefree, upbeat tunes put out by NFG.

It's a strong album that also reminds me why I decided to write a weekly column to remember the art of the album. Too many records these days are just platforms to promote the next big single, with little to no effort put into the body of work itself.

Thankfully, Sticks and Stones is just a well-crafted album from beginning to end, with more substance than one would expect from a pop-punk record. With tracks like "Sonny" and "Head On Collision", we see a slightly darker lyrical side to NFG, the former being an ode to fallen friends. It's an emotional track that seems like juxtaposition to the usual catchy style that embodies the genre.



That's not to say that the album doesn't have its moments of infectious pogo-inducing pop-punk mastery. It definitely does, especially with NFG's best-known track "My Friends Over You" and also "The Great Houdini" providing a bit of light relief musically.

However, perhaps the best thing about this album is that it feels a lot more mature than the genre should allow. This isn't pop-punk the vein of acts like Bowling For Soup (who we'll look at later), but a more grown-up version of usually childish genre. It's simple, but the melodies and lyrics here are quite dark at times. It makes for a very interesting album and a truly satisfying listening experience.



Good Charlotte – Good Charlotte (2000)

Before they turned to synthesisers, keyboards and songs about how cool they are, and even before they burst onto the mainstream scene with "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", Good Charlotte released a lesser-known, self-titled debut album.

Whilst it wasn't the record that made them famous, it's actually the album where they sound their most natural. It doesn't have the substance of Sticks and Stones, but it never pretends to. Good Charlotte is a fantastic, teenage angst-ridden album that perfectly describes teenage love ("Seasons"), heartbreak ("Walk By"), hopes of acceptance ("The Click") and dreams of fame ("Warlforfworldwide").



Pop-punk purists will never acknowledge it, but Good Charlotte is actually the archetypal pop-punk album, in lyrical subject matter and in the instrumentation. It's simple and largely power-chord driven, with the token ballads where appropriate.

There's certainly better out there, and sometimes the lyrics do feel a little remedial, but by the end of the album it doesn't matter. On the debut album, the Madden brothers are wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and it makes for honest, catchy and relatable pop-punk.



Sugarcult – Start Static (2001)

Start Static was an album I picked up in 2003 or 2004 to impress a girl. Whilst that romance was non-existent, the album became a regular on my CD player for most of my teenage years. I hardly listen to this album or Sugarcult in general anymore, but I regret it after hearing Start Static again today.

Honestly, it's a pretty damn good album, with some great riffs and even a solo from No Use For A Name alumnus and current Foo Fighers guitarist Chris Chiffett ("Bouncing Off The Walls"). It's consistent, and there's tracks I'm appreciating a lot more now, with my love-affair with only power chord-driven music lessening.

Tracks like "Lost In You" are just beautiful pop songs at heart, and "Pretty Girl" is one of the strongest albums on this albums. It's dark and heavy, and to think I used to hate it. There's some impressive rawness to the vocals that add to the mood, with some almost reggae-influenced guitar playing at times.



A sole criticism for Start Static is that whilst it's impressive and solid, it feels like an album of two halves. The first six tracks can be pretty simply described as pop-punk, without much diverging from that style. However, the remainder of the tracks bring in other influences and a grittier style. The album needn't feel so Jekyll and Hyde, because a change in track-listing to spread these songs out would've resulted in a much better album.



Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave (2003)

It was an album that led to Kerrang! labelling them as the future superstars of emo, but at its heart it was just a great punk-rock album. Fitting into the pop-punk genre with accessible choruses, power chord-driven music and relatable lyrical hooks, Fall Out Boy put out an incredibly strong debut album with Take This To Your Grave.

Kicking in with the brilliant "Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today", it's a phenomenal album that was the highlight of Fall Out Boy's duration as a band. They went a bit more poppy with each release, but their debut showcased a great understanding of what makes a brilliant pop-punk album.



Indeed, this is oddly reminiscent of New Found Glory, and is a hugely underrated record in the pop-punk landscape. The lyrics are incredibly relatable, and it's just about the only good thing Pete Wentz has ever done. Whilst he may get mocked almost constantly, he is a better lyricist than he's given credit for.

The album can get a bit repetitive, which would be one criticism, but it manages to hold up well and be surprisingly consistent. However, it's always energetic, with no real change of pace. Usually this would get boring, but it's just a brilliant, blunt, to-the-point pop-punk album from start to finish.

Tracks like "Saturday", "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" and "Calm Before The Storm" are some of FOB's best songs across all their albums, and they form part of a fantastic track-list. Take This To Your Grave wasn't the album to jump-start FOB's mainstream career, but it was a brilliant prelude to them becoming one of contemporary rock's biggest acts.



No Use For A Name – Hard Rock Bottom (2002)

No Use For A Name are a staple of Fat Wreck Chords, and with good reason. Their 2002 album Hard Rock Bottom manages to feature some of their bigger tracks, whilst blending well with lesser known gems.

Songs like "International You Day", "Let Me Down" and "Dumb Reminders" are featured on their compilation All The Best Songs with good reason, but there's much more to Hard Rock Bottom than a few strong songs. In fact, it's the strength of the album as a whole that makes it so great.

There are some nice changes of pace for parts of the occasional song, such as the organ-led introduction of "Any Number Can Play", and "Friends of the Enemy" would be a perfect introduction for fans of acts like +44.



The production on the album is flawless, with vocal effects used perfectly on songs like "Angela", although the song itself it's a bit bland in all honesty, both musically and lyrically. There's at least a few nice surprises, such as an appearance of Karina Denike (Dance Hall Crushers) on a fantastic cover of Sinead O'Connor's "This Is A Rebel Song".

Overall, this is a great pop-punk album, but it feels like something is missing. I'm not sure if it's just overshadowed by some of the albums this week, but at times it feels run of the mill. In spite of moments of blandness, it is helped by the energy and excitement of songs like "Undefeated" and "Let Me Down", one of No Use For A Name's best songs.



Bowling For Soup – A Hangover You Don't Deserve (2004)

Like Sugarcult, I first bought a Bowling For Soup album at the age of around 13 (Drunk Enough To Dance) to impress a girl. However, it started a love-affair with pop-punk and Bowling For Soup that still hasn't lessened over the past 7 or 8 years.

Don't get me wrong, I realise that BFS lack any real substance, with childish lyrics and pretty basic melodies and instrumentation. However, despite my musical tastes maturing over the years, I've always had a soft spot for songs like "Really Might Be Gone", "1985" and "Always".



This album is actually surprisingly strong and diverse, as much as a BFS album can be at least. Songs like "Ridiculous" and "A-Hole" show a more tender, emotional side that we don't often see from the Texas rockers. However, songs like "Shut-Up and Smile", "Two-Seater", "Trucker Hat" and "Smoothie King" settle any worries that BFS are growing up and changing style.

A Hangover You Don't Deserve shows off the best of Bowling For Soup, from their pop-punk influences through to the more softer ballads, all with their trademark charm. It also features a song written by SR-71 member Mitch Allen ("1985"), so you really can't go wrong here.



You Me At Six – Take Off Your Colours (2008)

Honestly, this isn't the strongest album of the week, album that may be testament to the other albums rather than a criticism of Take Off Yours Colours. It has its flashes of brilliance, and really it is a very strong album, but it just doesn't feel special for some reason.

Songs like "Save It For The Bedroom", "You've Made Your Bed (So Sleep In It)" and "Jealous Minds Think Alike" are all brilliant songs that hold the album together well, but You Me At Six fall into a trap of being a bit too safe and predictable.



It's not a bad album, it just feels quite safe, and by-the-numbers, pop rock. "Always Attract" is easily the best song on Take Off Your Colours, providing a change of pace in the most beautiful way. It's a stunning ballad that shows the strength of You Me At Six's song-writing. It's a bit of a shame, then, that the rest of the album feels bland and similar throughout.



That does us for another week of Album A Day. I'll be back next week with seven more albums. Until then, keep safe.