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THE LONG ROAD
(Roadrunner)
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Three years ago, Nickelback scored one of the biggest rock hits of the decade with "How You Remind Me" — and they’ve been one of the least fashionable bands on the planet ever since. But image is one thing and music is another, and the former hasn’t stopped them from using the latter to increase their stronghold on radio. With "Someday," the first single from their third album, they’ve scored another crossover smash by sticking close to the angst-ridden "How You Remind Me" playbook. Frontman Chad Kroeger still has a knack for getting to the heart of dysfunctional romance, but the track’s sing-song chorus only reinforces his reputation for playing to the lowest common denominator. One of the two follow-up singles, "Feelin’ Way Too Damn Good," is even more lightweight. But the other, the sneering "Figured You Out," is more indicative of an album that stays true to the Vancouver band’s sleazy hard-rock roots. The bouncy anti-addiction anthem "Because of You" is an instant strip-club classic, and the opening "Flat on the Floor" is one of their most aggressive songs to date. When Kroeger doesn’t let his commercial ambitions get the best of him, few of his peers can combine emotional grit and punchy guitars as well as he does. (Nickelback perform this Tuesday, July 13, with 3 Doors Down at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield; call 508-339-2333.)
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