Wide Awake Bored

Yeah, I still care enough to spell this Canajun band's name in their preferred lower case, but this might be the last time. It's just another sad story of an indie group that came in with a rare, unique take on melody-meets-abrasion (their '94 debut nc17 is a Canadi-indie classic) only to piss it away by taking major-label "suggestion" after major-label "suggestion." Here's what I would have sugge... read more

Description: This Toronto-based rock quartet scored a bull's-eye in 2000 with "American Psycho," a catchy pop tune about the cult of celebrity from the group's third full-length disc, Wide Awake Bored. Eventually, the album repeats that song's pop-punk formula to diminishing returns, but not before unleashing a fair number of pleasures. "Brand New Low" has a verse that swings and a chorus that explodes, "Business" steals a page out of the Buzzcocks' songbook, and "Funny" is a decent breakup song that builds to a splendid guitar-and-synths crescendo. Most of the lyrics are of the failing relationship so This Toronto-based rock quartet scored a bull's-eye in 2000 with "American Psycho," a catchy pop tune about the cult of celebrity from the group's third full-length disc, Wide Awake Bored. Eventually, the album repeats that song's pop-punk formula to diminishing returns, but not before unleashing a fair number of pleasures. "Brand New Low" has a verse that swings and a chorus that explodes, "Business" steals a page out of the Buzzcocks' songbook, and "Funny" is a decent breakup song that builds to a splendid guitar-and-synths crescendo. Most of the lyrics are of the failing relationship sort, but the group's take on the boy-girl thing is more mature--listen to the vocals on "Cheat Away"--than that of the average band of baggy-shorted juveniles. However, the initial sugar buzz of the candy-coated selections eventually wears thin over the course of 11 songs, although the ballad "Just What They Told Me" ends the disc in fine style. Listenable and likeable, Wide Awake Bored is a better-than-average take on the increasingly ho-hum pop-punk genre, but may leave listeners longing for a little more substance--or a few more swear words. --Shawn Conner ... (more) (less)