Turn the hour hand back

I was starting to worry that the dance-influenced pop-rock anthem trend of the past few years (Metro Station's "Shake It," Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad," Boys Like Girls' "Love Drunk") was never coming back. Who knew Canadian punk pop band Simple Plan would swoop in to save the day? Having failed to convincingly build on the more grown-up sound of 2005's "Untitled" on the album that followed it, they've finally figured a way to transition from the innuendos and (admittedly sometimes fun) tantrums that first brought them success into a sound more fitting for a group with an average age of thirty. The uptempo "Jet Lag" has a surprisingly effective little metaphor for missed connections at its center, but what seals the deal is its radio-ready chorus. The end result is the best both Simple Plan and Natasha Bedingfield have sounded in a long time. In a summer that's so far lagged behind in worthy hit songs, here's hoping this one breaks through.