Simple Plan have never shied away from admitting that they make pop music, and “When I’m Gone” is a great example of pop done well.
Before the purists leap down my throat: no, Simple Plan aren’t “proper” punk. They don’t claim to be, and I’m not saying they are either. They’re a pop band with punk flavour, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
I mean, seriously – even the most hardened fan of heavy music would be hard pressed to claim that “When I’m Gone” isn’t catchy as hell. Sure, it’s been polished to a gloss by top-dollar producers and optimised for radio. Sure, it’s bright and sing-along happy. Sure, it’s based on simple time-worn sentiments of small-town frustration and chord changes from the Beginner’s Book of Hooks.
So what?
Oh, you like your music more authentic, more underground? That’s fair enough. I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t buy a Simple Plan album myself.
But put it another way - given the choice between hearing “When I’m Gone” once every couple of hours on daytime radio, or hearing some warbling pop-tart or grunting ghetto thug instead, which would you rather deal with?
Exactly. “When I’m Gone” is great pop, and Simple Plan deserve all the luck they can get.
[Check out the Dreaded Press interview with Sébastien Lefebvre of Simple Plan while you're here!]
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Posted in Music reviews |
Tags: pop, pop-punk, Simple Plan
