- Artist
- +44
- Label
- Polydor
- Release date
- 13th November 2006
- Genre
- Alternative rock
Formed by blink 182 bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker, this is +44's first album, and it pretty much picks up where the pair's former band left off. It's a uniquely American take on punk/pop/rock - namely fast and furious and at times darn tuneful. And about as threatening as a cutesy wutesy puppy Labrador licking your face. It's little boy music dressed up in a hard shell.
Songs like the title tune or Little Death or Cliff Diving... how can these people take themselves so seriously as to indulge in comprehensive and permanent body art when they write and record tripe like this? They make believe it's hardcore just because they thrash their guitars a bit and go all shouty on us. Well boys, we're not fooled.
Sure, pre-pubescent boys lap this up, but covering yourself in tattoos and snarling into the MTV camera during the making of your video is only cool if the music more than matches up to it, and +44 don't even come close.
You want hardcore punk attitude and music to go with it from the Other Side Of The Pond? Dig out some early Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of - or anything by Black Flag. Then you'll see what a bunch of pussies bands like +44 are.
Bloody stupid name too.
