No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls

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The punk-pop combo known as Simple Plan are unquestionably one of the most exuberant and exciting outfits of the day. Since getting together back in 1998, the Montreal-based quintet - Pierre Bouvier: vocals; Jeff Stinco: lead guitar; David Derosiers: bass, backing vocals; Chuck Corneau: drums - has been knocking out crowds across the Great White North with storming gigs. Now Simple Plan are ready to tear up the Lower 48 with their much-anticipated Lava/Atlantic debut album. Produced by Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, King's X), NO HELMETS NO PADS...JUST BALLS features 12 irresistible anti-anthems of adolescent alienation, each one fit to burst with unstoppable hooks, melodic punk vocalizing, and shout-it-out-loud choruses. .com ---- You can tell a lot about a band by the company it keeps. Simple Plan's close chums include Good Charlotte ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/220043/%24%7B0%7D ) and Blink 182 ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/74791/%24%7B0%7D ), giving one a fair hint of the sound the group's debut, though, judging by song titles like "I’m Just a Kid," "The Worst Day Ever," and "God Must Hate Me," it’s clear these Canadian pop-punkers are ing for a younger demographic still. Ignore the bikini-clad babes that festoon the sleeve--there’s none of Blink 182’s smutty double-entendres here. Frontman Pierre Bouvier writes about skipping school, cing dad’s car, and lusting after girls that don’t know he exists. "Every day," he sob, "is the worst day ever." The music itself is far from glum. "I’d Do Anything" is a beaming Green Day ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/40836/%24%7B0%7D )-style chugger, while "When I’m With You" is a tale of obsession and heartbreak that owes more to the Go-Go's ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/46011/%24%7B0%7D ) than Rancid ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/58861/%24%7B0%7D ). Seasoned punk fans will be put off by the excessive juvenilia, but the new wave should lap this up. --Louis Pattison