The Sounds Release Their Worst Album

The Sounds have always made good music. Their first two albums 2002's Living in America and 2006's Dying to Say This to You combined new wave and punk to form a catchy and aggressive sound. Then in 2009's Crossing the Rubicon the band matured and changed their sound a bit. While not as good it was still a great record. Then in 2011 the band released their worst album Something to Die For. The album had a very mainstream sound and was very poppy.. There was a more synthpop sound and while it had some great songs, the album as a whole didn't hold up to the band's three previous albums.
Something to Die For wasn't a bad record, it just didn't hold up with the rest of the band's material. The same is true for the band's fifth album Weekend.  The album has some of the sounds signature sound on songs like "Outlaw," "Animal," and "Young and Wild." These are good songs, but they aren't as good as the band's other material.
For every good song on Weekend, there are many that just don't have the same spark The Sounds used to have. "Hurt the Ones That I Love" and the title track are examples of this. These soft rocking songs are an attempt to grow up and mature, however the lyrics are still childish.
"I live for the weekend baby/ I live for the weekend baby/ If you're wondering what it's like to be me/ I live for the weekend baby," Maja Ivarsson, the band's vocalist sings during the chorus of the later.
While songs like the first single "Shake Shake Shake," "Take it the Wrong Way" and "Too Young to Die" are all great, the cheesy lyrics of many of the songs kind of kill them. From a group of musicians in their 30s these lyrics sound childish.
Some of the songs have a more experimental sound. "Great Day," for example, has elements of country music. But for all the experimentation on the album The Sounds backtrack "Outlaw" sounds just like a song off of Living in America and "Panic" sounds like a Something to Die For outtake.
This album is far from bad, it's just disappointing that a band that was once so great has been reduced to making music like this. None of the songs come as close to the great songs of The Sounds' past. Where is "Ego?" Where is "Hope You're Happy Now?" Where is "Tony the Beat? "Beatbox?" "Seven Days a Week?" This album isn't bad, it just isn't on par with the band's older music.