Simple Plan (CD - 2008)

Simple Plan: Pierre Bouvier (vocals); Jeff Stinco (guitar); David Desrosiers (bass guitar); Chuck Comeau (drum); Sebastien Lefebvre (background vocals).

For its self-titled third studio album, the Montreal-based punk-pop ensemble Simple Plan decided to go further down the path of accessibility, trading producer Bob Rock (Metallica) for the trio of Danjahandz (Timbaland), Dave Fortman (Evanescence), and Max Martin (Britney Spears). The resulting songs place frontman Pierre Bouvier and crew squarely in mainstream rock, as best revealed on the emotive anthems "When I'm Gone" and "Your Love Is a Lie." For those concerned that the group has completely forfeited its punk cred, however, the Canadian band retains some of its former edge on surging tunes such as "Take My Hand" and "Time to Say Goodbye."

Pop-punk practitioners rarely make it to a third album without declaring some sort of newfound sensibility -- they're going a little darker, say, or they're experimenting with a dancier sound. But Simple Plan stick to pretty familiar territory on album three, which maybe explains the unclever self-title: perhaps the plan for this one really is simple. The Montreal boys pound away at full speed here, cranking out a batch of short, frivolous songs that showcase Pierre Bouvier's nasal but weirdly appealing voice and one, "I Can Wait Forever," that seems to be rooted in real feeling. The whining hasn't let up (see "No Love" and "Generation"), but the fun hasn't either. Credit the producers: Timbaland's protégé Danja Hills pitches in, and so does Max Martin, a knob wizard known for shining up the songs of Kelly Clarkson and fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne. ~ Tammy La Gorce minimize