Bowling For Soup started out as a group of snot-nosed young ‘uns doing punky power pop anthems like “1985,” which compares to the Fountains of Wayne classic “Stacy’s Mom” from way back in 2003. The band has always been about rambunctious fun, never taking itself seriously.
The band knows all the ingredients needed for a pop hit, and “S-S-S-Saturday” comes pretty darn close. It’s got the required riffs and hooks that will have you singing along. But on other tracks, it starts to resemble self-parody, as I really thought “Here’s Your Freakin Song” was something from Weird Al Yankovic. Other tracks seem to follow the formula, but without a musical hook in the chorus it tends to be forgettable, like “Girls In America.”
The problem here may be a lack of any kind of musical growth. It seems these guys have fallen into the same trap as Smash Mouth, doling out disposable pop for the fan base, content that they are good at what they do. The trick is how to keep things exciting without growing stale, and they hint at this with “Turbulence.” The band just needs to start singing about what’s relevant to its life instead of trying to market to Disney’s core audience. But despite this, fans will enjoy “Fishin’ For Woos,” and if you’re looking for a summer party soundtrack, it fits the bill perfectly.
Article first published as Music Review: Bowling For Soup – Fishin’ For Woos on Blogcritics.
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