I’m writing this too early, probably, but I don’t care. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this album for much too long and wanna get my voice out on it out NOW. Underclass Hero by Sum 41 is now available to the world! After many years of no new music and quite a bit of silence, Sum 41 has re-emerged one member less, but entirely better than ever. This is the punk album we’ve all been waiting for since blink-182 released their last record. When I first heard a new Sum 41 song a few months back entitled March of the Dogs, I was instantly blown away by everything I heard. The sweet production values, great lyrics, intense beat- everything about it was marvelous. It was completely punk but a bit more grown-up and even bordering on being indie at times. Then I heard Underclass Hero and wasn’t entirely enthralled… but the more I listened to it, the more I realized, “Hey, this is actually freaking GOOD.” UH was slated as their first real radio single. Next on the lineup is/was Walking Disaster. I felt a little annoyed by it, seeing as the verses and a lot of tidbits borrowed heavily from March of the Dogs (or is it the other way around?). But I remember sitting there going, “Even if this sounds similar, it’s still damn good… and the chorus is different enough for me to still love this.” So while I now had the fear of the album having a lot of songs sounding the same, I knew it would still rock my face off, regardless. Sum 41 is still punk in a world where punk music is essentially gone. At least… good punk. (and when I say punk, I mean stuff along the lines of blink, Green Day, Sugarcult, not like, The Ramones, The Casualties, etc.) The only other band to release anything remotely punk lately has been Relient K… and that’s a guilty pleasure if there ever was one. As I’m listening to UH (the album), I’m seeing that Sum 41’s new approach to writing/attempt at being a bit more different than before is working against them. Not in a really bad way though, it’s just that, tiny little details get repeated a lot. When they say “Hey, let’s add a lot of guitar layers to this album,” they stuck with that notion and ended up repeating a lot of the same layered guitars. And there are some drum breaks where there’s a cool filter over them that seems overdone.., but then again, I’m writing this after only listening to five tracks… two of which I’d heard before. Actually, I’m listening to this song called Count Your Last Blessings that is actually stunning. It’s got PIANO, man! This tune is definitely Sum 41 running on a new engine entirely. And I’ll be honest, it’s this new sounding Sum 41 that might propel them to an entirely new level of granduer. Like, right now I’m listening to Ma Poubelle which is sung almost entirely in French. It’s trippy. It’s punk, but old fashioned. And it seems that each song really leads into the next one. Let me break it down for you the way I’ve found it: Underclass Hero starts the album off on a punky note. Then Walking Disaster is still punk, but introduces the idea of being a bit somber at times with pretty guitar parts. Then Speak of the Devil comes in being even more intricated than WD… but then Dear Father chimes in with acoustic guitars, but it’s deliciously layered and intricate like the track before it. But then Count your Last Blessings is really dark after that pretty song… and we have some piano introduced. Then Ma Poubelle is piano driven entirely, but completely raw sounding- leading us into March of the Dogs and its raw guitar parts. So… we’ll see how the rest of the album fares. This is where I’m gonna just save this review and finish it later after listening to the whole shpeel. The whole rest of my review will focus solely on checking out each and every song, giving them a rating, and then rating the entire album.
Track 1: Underclass Hero- It’s exactly as Glenn Francisco put it- the new Fat Lip for this generation… minus Steve Jocz (the drummer) rapping. It starts the album off on a rockin, snotty, yet melodic note- basically, this is where you can decide if you like the new Sum 41 or not. It’s straight up fantastic and has an infectious sound. Deryck’s guitar sound on Underclass Hero (the album) is absolutely awesome- it’s in your face, twangy, and completely full. *10/10
Track 2: Walking Disaster- As mentioned before, the verses sound incredibly similar to March of the Dogs, and the drum breaks sound awfully familiar too… but I dunno, you can’t hold it against this highly awesome song too much. Things start off nice and mellow with a lot of cool layers, then everything comes rushing at you in supreme awesomeness. The pre=chorus is so sweet too- with each line, part is half time, the other is standard, and it makes for a good rush. Then the chorus sounds exactly like sometihng Billie-Joe Armstrong would write. When being compared to probably the most successful punk band ever, you can’t go wrong really. *8/10 <– couldda been more original.
Track 3: Speak of the Devil- Yet again things start off somewhat slow, but then start rocking your face off. I really like this song and how cool it is. It’s got a lot of cool guitar stops and starts and plenty of interesting layers. I love the drum/piano breaks that reek of optimism yet despair at the exact same time: yes, a song has the power to convey emotions with zero vocals. However, there is a part where the piano likes to go like, off-key or whatever, and it sounds fairly out of place… but I have a feeling it’ll grow on me the more I listen to the song. *9/10
Track 4: Dear Father- A lot of songs are similar to Dear Father- decently somber and all ballady. It’s a good song, but it doesn’t do anything special for me. I’m sure the song is really close to Deryck’s heart seeing as it’s about a father he’s never known about… so I can give him credit for that. If anything, Underclass Hero is shaping up to be an album worth keeping on repeat in my car- while it’s not necessarilly the most dynamic album in the world, every song is entirely solid, totally full up in your face, and catchy in its own respects. *6/10
Track 5: Count Your Last Blessings- I’m thinking this is my favourite song by far. It’s so dark and absurdly cool. I wish Deryck did more screaming like he does on here and March of the Dogs… his yelling is totally at the top of its game- entirely clear sounding and entirely forceful. This is a must-listen no doubt. *10/10
Track 6: Ma Poubelle- You can’t not love this song for how fresh it is. It’s French, it’s punk, it’s artsy, it’s pure gold. *10/10
Track 7: March of the Dogs- Listen now and enjoy. You just can’t go wrong with this song in any way. It’s definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album, for sure. *10/10
Track 8: The Jester- A political rock song. *yawn* I dunno, this is good… but nothing amazing, that’s for certain. I just can’t get behind political stuff. Whatever. *N/A
Track 9: With Me- The best slow song on the album… and by the best slow song on the album, I mean it really is a shining example of what a ballad in today’s generation can be. I love the guitar part- it’s a simple/standard type of progression, but it’s changed up a bit to be straight-up awesome. The bells are a nice touch too throughout the song. *10/10
Track 10: Pull the Curtain- A lot of the songs feel the same… but I get the feeling that’ll change after I really get to know the album… because in all honesty, that’s just how punk is. It all usually feels quite similar until you really get to know the songs and soon understand how different everything is. It happens fairly quickly usually, and I know Pull the Curtain will stick out real big once a few more listens go through. It’s just got this despondent, yet oddly hopeful feel to it that you can’t deny. Then the bridge parts feel exactly like new MCR stuff- even the explosive ending feels completely on par with The Black Parade. And when comparing a song to stuff from MCR’s new stuff (My chemical romance), that’s definitely a good tihng seeing as I adore that album. *10/10
Track 11: King of Contradiction is the fast punk song every punk album needs. With an included horn part, you almost might compare it to Green Day yet again with their song King For a Day. The change up to a real heavy style is way bad ass. The first time I listened to the song, I just felt entirely overwhelmed by the weight of it all pushing down on me. It was sweet. *9/10
Track 12: Best of Me- Another slow song! I dunno, the slow songs get a bit ridiculous… but at the same time they’re straight-up fantastic. If you approach UH with the understanding that you’re gonna get a lot of slow songs, I think it’ll appeal that much more to the listener. Best of Me is definitely one fucking awesome song, but I feel let down by it cuz I’d prefer more balls-out, in your face songs. But that’s an unfair reason to give this song anything lower than the perfect score it deserves*. *10/10
Track 13: Confusion and Frustration In Modern Times- And now the fast song to end the album… sort of. Treat this as the real ending of the album and you’ll like UH much much more. Because the next song is… SLOW! *9/10
Track 14: So Long Goodbye- Although it’s straight up amazing… did this have to end the album? *10/10
So there it is. Underclass Hero by Sum 41! I give it an 8/10 rating. It’s not entirely what you’re expecting, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’m sure this will grow on me like no other. And I’m certain I’ll play this loud in my car for a long-ass time. BUY IT NOW!
*Note: I rate music high because music is incredibly relative. My choice in music will generally be absurdly different than others, so I rate high in order to entice people to check it out- the most positive I am, the better. If I’m negative or stingy with ratings, it’s very well possible someone might pass up a song they might actually love to death.
