Simple Plan : Simple Plan : Review : Rolling Stone

This Canadian quintet went platinum with its first two albums, which offered arena emo long on overdriven guitars and giant choruses. Simple Plan presents a slightly more pristine version of that sound, complete with spacious production, even bigger choruses and some minor frills, including a handful of synth-driven grooves and a Joshua Tree-era U2 rip ("Holding On"). There are some decent pop moments: "When I'm Gone" is a seize-the-day anthem with a cathartic refrain. But most songs, like the angry barnburner "The End," are barely distinguishable from a dozen or so other Warped Tour bands. Worse yet, some of Simple Plan is downright annoying: "I Can Wait Forever" is a melodramatic power ballad, and "Love Is a Lie," a whiny rant directed at an unfaithful girlfriend, is a growl away from becoming Nickelback.