Now entering their 30s, the members of the poppiest of pop-punk bands are trading black eyeliner and pointy bangs for stubble and shades. Their fifth disc is rife with signs of rock ambition — acoustic songcraft, sweeping guitar solos — folded into their vaguely emo, synthed-up sound. But the results are still kid-friendly and mostly forgettable. "Last Night" yokes a Jerry Maguire reference to a riff nicked from "Brown Sugar" and comes out sounding like hot Disney rock, while "Like It's Her Birthday" sets a man's problem ("She said she only had a meeting/But she is dressed for something/Something that is no good") to a bubblegum groove that a 14-year-old could throw a fist to.
Keep up with rock's hottest photos in Random Notes.
