Stunt

by

Barenaked Ladies

Edit

A lot of older BNL fans say that this album is a sellout for the band, and that Box Set has become a self-fullfilling prophecy. Others might think that Barenaked Ladies are simply a one-hit wonder band. But this is simply not true. While the album is definitely not Gordon, it still rocks, and it's still BNL. It's just different. Alright, so it's more produced than they're earlier stuff, but they're still the same bunch of guys who write excellent lyrics. I'll admit, I bought Stunt because of One Week and It's All Been Done. However, now that I have the CD, those are my two least favorite songs off of the album. "I'll be That Girl" is different, with it's dark lyrics juxtaposed to the upbeat music. "Call and Answer" is an excellent ballad-type song that did not get the radio play that it deserved. "Alcohol" is not what it first seems to be. And of course, if you're ever having an insomniac moment a la "Who Needs Sleep" just pop in "When You Dream" a really thought provoking lullabye. This CD was the first I ever bought that I could listen to straight through without skipping any of the tracks, and it's not even the Barenaked Ladies best. If you can, find the LE, which has two extra tracks. "Long Way Back Home" is excellent, even if it does have a bit of a country feel to it.

I was so disappointed when I bought Stunt. After hearing "One Week" on the radio, I figured Stunt would be filled with the nifty plays on words and unmatched wit in the lyrics of songs on past albums, Gordon in particular. What I found was a bunch of simple songs with repetitive melodies and lyrics that don't seem to be much better than the average pop rock band. This CD is better than Maybe You Should Drive, but doesn't come close to Gordon or Born On a Pirate Ship, both of which showed that these guys have extaordinary talents. Barenaked Ladies are still better than any other pop rock bands out there, but the material in this CD doesn't live up to this BNL fan's expectations.