Sum 41 has never earned the critical respect its punk-pop peers did, despite dabbling in music that was every bit adult-themed as, say, American Idiot. In fact, 2004’s Chuck—an album named after the U.N. peacekeeper that helped the band out during a nearly fatal trip to Congo—features the Canadian group’s finest moment: the reflective “We’re All to Blame,” a Bic-flicking ballad with teeth that was light years beyond Sum 41’s early goofs on cheesy metal and frat-boy rap.
Unfortunately, the promise shown on Chuck—and on energized collaborations with Iggy Pop—seems to have evaporated before the release of Underclass Hero. An overly long and ultimately boring album, Hero mistakenly equates maturity with slick, grandiose statements, whether they come in the form of string-laden weepers (“So Long Goodbye”) or driving midtempo rockers (the lush “Dear Father”). But Hero’s biggest weakness is its startling lack of originality. The carefree snarl of the title track is uncannily similar to 2001’s “Fat Lip,” down to the pogo-worthy beats and pacing of the verses, while other songs borrow heavily from Green Day’s political grandstanding and Blink-182’s wiry pop-punk.
Deryck Whibley’s cartoonish vocals and a few scattered flourishes (mainly some off-key piano plinking) salvage some of the album, but more speedballs in the vein of Sum 41’s rowdiest moments—the no-brakes “King of Contradiction” and unhinged melodic gem “March of the Dogs”—would have given Hero the shot of adrenaline it desperately needed.
SUM 41
Underclass hero
* 1/2