Stunt

The fact that Barenaked Ladies' current single and album opener, 'One Week', was a recent American chart topper, isn't necessarily a recommendation. This is the country, after all, that made stars of Whitney Houston and Hootie And The Blowfish. Thankfully, 'One Week' defies the trend and is actually an intelligent, toe-tappingly catchy three minutes of pristine power pop. Hurray!

Unfortunately, it's also the best song by miles on Stunt, the fourth studio album from Canada's Barenaked Ladies. That's not to say that the rest of the album is bad, but it's just a hard act to live up to.

'It's All Been Done' suffers from a touch of the Hooties, but the harmonies and doo-wop backing vocals succeed in hauling it out of the mire. 'Ill Be That Girl' is surely a single in waiting, with a chorus that was made for daytime radio, and yet lyrics that are deceptively dark and sombre. 'Alcohol', an ode to the perilous pleasures to be found in bottles, nods in the direction of That Petrol Emotion, while 'Never Is Enough' harrangues the conventional go-to-college, tour Europe and end-up-working-in-fast-food career path of many of their fellow countrymen and women.

The country rock of 'Leave' is very easy on the ear and, lyrically, is a tonic compared to the more usual "please come back" songs clogging up the airwaves. In fact, the lyrics throughout are a pleasant surprise, displaying a clever turn of phrase and a perceptive nature often lacking in their contemporaries.

The highly confessional 'In The Car' is a case in point, as Steven Page recalls an early relationship, with his first tentative sexual experiences, including covert cunnilingus in the basement and mutual masturbation in the back seat of his car as they "groped for excuses not to be alone anymore".

'Who Needs Sleep?' is an insomniac's diary, with a chorus that is well worth staying awake for, while the closing 'When You Dream' is a touching affair, with Page watching his newborn son as he sleeps, which thankfully avoids the overemoting which such songs usually evoke.

Stunt is a good, upbeat guitar pop album which won't change the world, but who says music always has to buck trends and define or defy genres? There's room for bands like Barenaked Ladies to make intelligent pop music for the masses.