Bowling For Soup

Sorry For Partyin'

Written by: PP on 14/10/2009 05:23:30

Bowling For Soup are retarded. They are hilarious. Hilariously retarded. Retardedly hilarious....err...you get the point. They've always been a pretty funny pop punk band, but on their seventh album "Sorry For Partyin'" they've really elevated their humour to a new level (they no longer make fun of emo/scene kids, instead moving onto the next trend). Starting off with the refreshingly ironic "A Really Cool Dance Song", Bowling For Soup proceeds to explose the true motives behind 'acts' like brokenCYDE with some pointed but laughable lyrics on top of a fitting disco rhythm and electronics: "This song sounds like a dance song because dance songs are cool now [...] It's our attempt at a dance song, a really cool dance song, it's gonna be a great big hit! [...] and now the label is so stoked they don't get the damn joke the downloads are off the charts", follow it up with "No Hablo Ingles", where they avoid all sorts of retarded questions with the simple line "No Hablo Ingles", and then go on to release a song called "My Wena" as the lead single on the album. Yeah, try say the title out loud, it's a lovingly written song about a penis, so I guess if you didn't find old South Park episodes funny you probably won't lyrics like "My wena is lonely tonight / she cries when I turn out the light / she's only happy when I'm holding her tight, oh my Wena..." either. Yeah, this is Travis, Mark & Tom humour all right, but in many places on the album, this makes Blink 182 look like Radiohead like one internet commenter put it.

But regardless of the intelligence - or lack thereof - of the lyrics, Bowling For Soup's no-frills, easy-going, positive attitude is pretty darn contagious. On top of that they can write some addictive choruses like the one found on "I Don't Wish You Were Dead Anymore", filled with catching vocal lines and memorable guitar hooks. Perhaps it's completely out of place to even mention the word original in the same context with these guys, considering how closely they follow the poppy pop punk format of bands like American Hi-Fi, The All-American Rejects, Sugarcult, Simple Plan, Allister etc, but because of the silly lyrical universe their songs stick out from the pop punk crowd. Because who wouldn't love a song called "BFFF" which is about being gay with your best friend, which actually turns out to be a statement that there's nothing wrong about being gay, or a song that's titled "Hooray For Beer"? Even the ballad "Me With No You" works because of the clever word plays found in the song. It may not be poetry, but hell, not everyone wants to be always serious.

Although you could argue that the latter half of the album isn't as good as the first, the biggest stumbling stone for most people will be whether or not they can get over the fact that Bowling For Soup are more of a comedy/joke band than an overly serious pop punk outfit. I've seen some reviews trashing this as second rate garbage because of the piss/shit humour and lame jokes, but I for one don't mind leaving my brain on a coat hanger every now and then, and that's why "Sorry For Partyin'" works: it's a fun record that doesn't demand anything at all from the listener except the occasional chuckle at a dumb joke.

7

Download: I Don't Wish You Were Dead Anymore, Me With No You
For the fans of: American Hi-Fi, The All-American Rejects, Sugarcult, Simple Plan
Listen: Myspace

Release date 12.10.2009
Jive Records

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