And quite a pop-friendly rock sound at that. I hate to admit it, but many of the songs wouldn't be out of place on a Bon Jovi album! Part of this is due to the production values, which achieve polished pop-music greatness. Sure, it's got the whole gamut of Hollywood tricks thrown at it, but much like No Doubt's Rocksteady album (sorry for the unimaginative comparison to another female-fronted band...), there's no shame in that when it's done this well.
The album starts off with a bang, thanks to Bad Boyfriend. Perfect for establishing the mood, and a solid song in itself. Run Baby Run features a "wall of noise" chorus used to good effect on a few songs on this album. However, the lyrics are inane and, aside from the energetic chorus, I find the song a bit bland. Why Don't You Come On Over feels quite contrived. Right Between the Eyes is another in this style, this time with better execution. Sex is Not the Enemy trades the aggression for feelgood vibes, which I think makes for a catchy tune.
The electronic influences on Beautiful Garbage never really appealed to me, therefore neither do Metal Heart and Boys Wanna Fight.
It is similar in style to Why Do You Love Me, yet also worlds apart. Speaking of Why Do You Love Me, in my book this one of my all-time favourite pop songs. The "wall of noise" chorus is a bit simplistic, but who cares, it's a great singalong! The groove is strong and if you listen closely, the lyrics are actually quite poetic and illustrative. Great fun.
Of the ballads, It's All Over But the Crying is the weakest in my book. I can't put my finger on a reason, but somehow it just doesn't appeal to me. However, Bleed Like Me and Happy Home are amongst my favourite songs of the album due to their grand sense of scale. Bleed Like Me tells the stories of some lost souls, somehow reminding me Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side.
Happy Home almost seems like an instrumental to me, perhaps similar to most of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album. With both songs the chorus is more a refrain than a singalong highlight, which is a good contrast to the pop structure of the rest of the album, and leads to the songs flowing very nicely. Both songs also go for a long time without much variety, but like all good prog-rock, it transforms you to a trance where time loses its meaning!
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