2017's
Wake Up Call signaled both a sonic and lyrical about-face for the
Nickelback-groomed Canadian rockers. Fans that lamented
Theory of a Deadman's dramatic pivot from post-grunge to pop will find cold comfort with the arrival of their seventh full-length effort,
Say Nothing, a slickly rendered set of brooding, socially conscious electro-pop. Recorded in London with
Wake Up Call producer
Martin Terefe (
James Blunt,
Mike Posner), the ten-song set uses the latter LP's surprise hit "Rx (Medicate)" as a jumping-off point, with frontman
Tyler Connolly turning his gaze from the prescription drug abuse epidemic to topics like domestic violence ("History of Violence"), poverty ("Affluenza"), racism ("White Boy"), and political polarization ("Strangers"). Despite the dearth of guitar,
Say Nothing is inarguably rooted in the modern rock idiom, with big, chrome-plated bangers like "Black Hole in Your Heart" and "Ted Bundy" aiming for the nosebleed section. ~ James Christopher Monger