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by Tony Pascarella Published: October 5, 2004
The Texas-born punk rock quartet known as Bowling For Soup draws from their small-town roots on their third studio album, A Hangover You Don't Deserve. Led by charismatic frontman Jaret Reddick, the band lets loose with their fun side for eighteen tracks. It harkens back to Blink-182's level of immaturity (pre Blink-182, of course), with less emphasis on bodily functions. But hey, immaturity is sometimes what music genres need. Instead of bands singing about suicide, AIDS, and drive-by shootings, every once in a while a group needs to be all about hanging out and having fun. And Bowling For Soup exemplifies this mentality throughout. Bowling For Soup Is: Jaret Reddick (Vocals/Guitar) Chris Burney (Guitar) Gary Wiseman (Drums) Erik Chandler (Bass) "Almost" opens A Hangover You Don't Deserve with a riff-heavy song. While listening to the track, you'll sit there and wonder how he's almost done things that most of us would just dream of. The song itself is fairly kosher power-pop, nothing too extreme or unique; but it's a formula that works well. The lyrics are laughable (funny, not bad), and the single potential here is astronomically high. Trucker Hat" sees BFS' cynical attitude detailing love as related to...a hat? Switching between an ode to a girlfriend and metaphors involving the hat, this song really brings the fun--at least the first five or six times. "1985" was a song originally done by SR-71 for their Japan-only release Here We Go Again. Apparently Bowling For Soup approached SR-71 lead singer Mitch Allan about including the song on A Hangover You Don't Deserve. In the process, BFS rewrote a handful of lines to gear the song more toward their musical style. A track that longs for the good old days, "1985" is the lead single from the album. "Get Happy" has a rapid-fire approach to punk rock, both in playing time and style. I really can't sit here and say I love the reckless abandon shown on guitar because it's been done before. "Ohio (Come Back To Texas)" is a tongue-in-cheek look at a girl who left her boyfriend in Texas by running off to Ohio with another guy. This song is similar to one of BFS's previous ones, "The B*tch Song." The lack of seriousness is evident, which is part of the band's appeal. "Ridiculous" is a punk ballad in which Reddick's vocals are heartfelt as well as pleasant to listen to. It is songs like this that make me remember why the band was nominated for a Grammy. Solid guitar work and the talented vocals give "Ridiculous" some great potential. Goofiness is the name of the game on "Last Call Casualty." Power-punk riffs accent this song; Reddick's hilarious lyrics really prove that Bowling For Soup doesn't take themselves seriously. In addition, the name of the song implies that the band has been there before. Approaching the topics of STD's, lost love, and pessimism, BFS drops several nice one-liners on "Next Ex-Girlfriend." Instrumentally, the song sounds decent; the problem arrives in the lyrics themselves. Besides the funny couple of lines, this song really doesn't stay fresh in your memory once you turn the stereo off. "A-Hole" has a crisp sound to it, and a sing-along melody. Reddick's sarcastic voice lends this song credence, but nothing else. I really don't like the instruments on this song; there is really no life to the track. On the other hand, "My Hometown" is excellent. A massive shoutout to everyone who helped them along in their rise to stardom, the song is heavy on the lyrics, but it's got some great sentiment. Instrumentally, you can't argue with the attack of guitars and the way that this song flows. "Smoothie King" is lyrically decent, and in some cases, prophetic. Chugging guitars make this song slightly more memorable than some of the other filler tracks on A Hangover You Don't Deserve. Following up is "Sad, Sad Situation." The one thing you begin to notice is that Jared Reddick's vocals begin to grate on the ears after thirteen tracks. However, the lyrics are amusing as usual, so this track isn't bad. "Really Might Be Gone" is just plain old filler on the album. I can't really distinguish the song from another after turning off the stereo. The only thing positive is that there are fairly good drums on the track. And from here on out it doesn't get much better. Guitar chords are decent, but the vocals are plain dull, it seems. "Down For The Count" is about the only one that stands out. Hilarity seems to be all the song has going for it, but that alone carries the track. The one thing I find detrimental about the album is the length. Including the bonus track, the CD is 18 tracks; somewhere in there is a dropoff in the quality of music. While there are a good number of bonafide singles throughout A Hangover You Don't Deserve, there are also a few songs that just don't get it done. If you're a fan of the band, you should consider this album stronger than their previous work. If you're new to the Bowling For Soup fad, you should expect an album with solid, often humorous lyrics, and some typical guitar chords that show occasional flashes of excellence.  Suggestion: Purchase for fans and eclectic listeners Genre: Punk Rock Overall Grade: B |
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