In the past, Simple Plan has been criticized heavily for being a formulaic punk band, or, in some cases, even selling out to pop. "Still Not Getting Any …" really doesn't prove that they have found a genre. On the contrary, Simple Plan has branched out musically-much more so than on their previous album. The band has taken a slightly different approach on this album, as band member Pierre Bouviers explained: "As an artist, why limit yourself to just doing certain things? It's like being a painter; do you decide to only use seven or eight colors, or blend the colors together and make the most beautiful painting possible?"
Even though the album is still full of teen-angst anthems and signature punk melodies and themes, certain songs seem destined to increase Simple Plan's credibility and show their musical growth. No matter how immature the lyrics may become, they occasionally hit a nerve or two. Even more to the band's advantage, Simple Plan has written nearly 40 minutes of very playable and incredibly catchy tunes.
The album opens with "Shut Up," which has a straightforward chorus, ending with the upbeat lyrics: "Nothing you say today will ever bring me down." The guitar riffs and subtle interludes are what make the song, though. The follow-up track "Welcome to My Life" is the band's first single and is without question the anthem of all anthems. "Do you ever feel out of place? Like somehow you don't belong and no one understands you?" Been there, done that, you're thinking? The song is signature Simple Plan, but underneath the surface lies the band's slightly more mature style.
"Perfect World," the album's third track, has a slight alternative sound to it which emphasizes Simple Plan's approach of simply "writ[ing] good songs" rather than trying to stick to a certain mold. The track is heavily guitar driven with tight drumming beats. "Thank You" is an emo song with a pop-punk beat. "Thank you for showing me that best friends cannot be trusted." This is classic Brand New or Taking Back Sunday … I feel like I've heard this song one too many times. Regardless of the overdone theme, the upbeat drumming and catchy lyrics will probably allow the song to get some airplay. "Me Against the World" is another teen angst anthem, but it's slightly darker than their usual stuff. Although the lyrics may seem simple, they don't sound cheesy, and when paired with Comeau's strong drumming, the song really works.
The next song, "Crazy," is probably one of the better songs on the album. Instead of dealing with their usual theme of teenage isolation, they actually touch on some of society's more important issues: "Tell me what's wrong with society/When everywhere I look I see/Rich guys driving big SUV's/While kids are starving in the streets/No one cares/No one likes to share/I guess life is unfair." By Simple Plan's standards, these lyrics are pretty insightful. Paired with another chorus that could hook anyone in, the song seems to be one of their better efforts. "Jump," the album's seventh track, is another pop-punk ballad, but the simplicity of lyrics and unoriginal upbeat music keep the song from being really appealing. Its catchiness may be its only redeeming quality, but on the whole, it's nothing special.
"Everytime" is a love song, but has more mature lyrics than those of their earlier efforts. "Promise," their next track, may sound like just another classic Simple Plan punk song, but it has awesome guitar riffs and solos and pretty decent lyrics. The last two tracks without question exhibit the band's growth and evolution. The mature lyrics along with the use of string instruments in addition to piano allow these two songs to truly shine.
"Still Not Getting Any …" won't disappoint die-hard fans, and will definitely attract new ones. They haven't abandoned the plan; they've only made it better.