The summer of 2011 is rapidly turning into the summer of history lessons, trips down memory lane and nostalgic skips. French Canadian pop-punk outfit Simple Plan bring the coal and an eclectic guest list of Rivers Cuomo, Alex Gaskarth and of course Natasha Bedingfield for this beachside bonfire reunion with their latest album ‘Get Your Heart On!’.
‘You Suck At Love’ opens album number four beautifully; undeniable Simple Plan hooks and lines blasting from the off. As the record unfolds, the ‘Jet Lag’ from all the early noughties time travel is nearly too much to bear and clearly, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it is the motto in Simple Plan towers. Minimal shifts in style is a bold move but a risky one too.
Nine years since the massive ‘No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls’ dropped on the planet, not a whole lot has changed. The same heartfelt lyrics and hyperbolic summery beats bring the past flooding back. A quantum leap of pop-punk riffery and a generous helping of Raditude certainly lend a distinct edge.
‘Get Your Heart On!’ has the makings of a really decent pop-punk anthology. Hardly boundary breaking and in parts teetering on the type of tween fodder many genre snobs scoff at, but it is this fun sing-along ability that keeps Simple Plan firmly in the guilty pleasures box. Get your heart on and lungs ready!
JESSICA ACREMAN