Underclass Hero
Sum 41
Montréal : Aquarius Records, p2007

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"Weird Al" Yankovic may have stolen a bit of Sum 41's thunder when he wrote "Canadian Idiot" for his latest album. The Great White North (now L.A.-based) trio's fourth full-length is, wittingly or not, something of a homage to Green Day's "American Idiot," from its thematic (though not narrative) "us against them" unity to the fierce political sloganeering of "March of the Dogs" to the sophisticated arrangements that bolster Sum 41's punk roots with references to Queen, Weezer and Linkin Park. And with its acoustic guitar and strings, "So Long Goodbye"--a paean to departed guitarist Dave Brownsound--ends the album on a decidedly "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" note. But don't write off "Underclass Hero" as mere imitation; its growth feels genuine and, unlike Sum 41's punk peers, its musical maturation doesn't come at the expense of that all-important snotty 'tude.

Review from Billboard - Gary Graff,7/28/07.