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