Get Your Heart On!

Having released only one proper full length studio album between 2004 and 2011 (that being 2008's so-so self-titled album), Simple Plan is not exactly the most prolific band out there. But they have returned in 2011 with "Get Your Heart On" and it is their best album yet.

Quite simply put, the album's ballads (most notably "Astronaut") are fantastic, and the rockers are more focused, falling back on effortlessly catchy three-chord power pop and pop punk hooks. This album would have been the perfect follow-up to 2004's "Still Not Getting Any" because it improves and slightly expands on that album. Pierre Bouvier's vocals never sounded better, and they are boosted even more by excellent guest spots by Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), and Natasha Bedingfield.

Part of the reason for this improvement, I think, is the fact that the band appears to be coming to terms with their sound. Their attempts to "expand" artistically on their 2008 release resulted in a mixed bag, because the professional songwriters that Simple Plan hired back then made them sound like a totally different band at times. So as a fan of their 2002 debut and also their 2004 album, I was not sure which direction they would go here. But as pop punk-tinged rocker and album opener "You Suck At Love" proves, they have returned to (and perfected) their form here.

In closing, it is hard to believe that Simple Plan has been around for a decade already. In that sense, they are aging quite gracefully, and actually a release like this could prolong the band's shelf life for years. Not only will these songs sound great in their live sets, they will be perhaps the best material in their live shows. A natural progression in albums is expected from a band, but the amount of improvement from the previous album to this one is not only refreshing, but it is stunning and totally unexpected. This album is packed with more potential singles than a Florida night club.

I first became a fan of Simple Plan back in 2008 with the release of their self-titled album, which quickly became number one on my list of most-played CDs that year. From there, I went back and picked up the two previous CDs I had missed; I was somewhat disappointed. Rumors of this new album hinted that it would be a return to their previous style. This left me a little disheartened. (Don't get me wrong; I love the high-energy, pop-punk style of all of their music, but I didn't want another set of songs with lyrics sounding like a 12-year-old, whining about topics such as: My life sucks; My dad hates me; God hates me, Life's not fair -- because someone else is having more fun than me. Boo-hoo! Get over it.) It turns out, my skepticism was completely unfounded. "Get Your Heart On!" is not a step backward; it's a firm step forward.

The variety of songs deals with more universal topics including: infatuation, loss, longing, loneliness and love ("Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Gone Too Soon", "Jet Lag", "Astronaut", "You Suck at Love"). The music style has continued to mature as well, incorporating guest artists, a wider variety of instrumentation and a proper amount of post-production work. Even with the additional depth, Simple Plan has held to their roots: high-energy punk style with strong lead vocals blended with well-balanced harmonies.

If you like "Save Me" (from their previous album), you'll love "Gone Too Soon", "Astronaut" and "This Song Saved My Life". If you are a fan of "Holding On" (my personal favorite SP song ever), you'll have a great time with "You Suck at Love" and "Freaking Me Out". Other songs, such as "Summer Paradise" introduce new style elements that bring variety and add to the whole albums' appeal.

I am thoroughly pleased with this new addition from Simple Plan. It continues to build along their long-running trajectory of greatness. It's been three years since their last CD, but "Get Your Heart On!" was worth the wait.

I'm a long-time Simple Plan fan. I fell in love with them when I heard "Perfect" some years back and since then I've collected all their CDs, bought their two DVDs, and I eagerly await their new record. Get Your Heart On! is their fourth album and I must admit, when I first heard the teaser singles I wasn't too impressed. Until I heard "Jet Lag". So as soon as there was a release date for the album, I made sure I downloaded it for myself the day it came out and since then I've had it on repeat. I generally don't listen to full albums - usually picking up new songs on the radio or on TV adverts, unless it's a band or artist I really love. So I opened up iTunes, stuck on Get Your Heart On! and I was impressed. Mightily so. I've loved every single Simple Plan album and, for me, their best album is Still Not Getting Any..., but Get Your Heart On! is right up there with it for me.

Simple Plan stick to what makes them good: the guitars, the big songs, the ballads but they throw something else into the mix with Get Your Heart On!, there are some mighty good collaborations on the album. I love a good collaboration and all of them on Get Your Heart On! are excellent. Rivers Cuomo features on the second track "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", Natasha Bedingfield lends her impressive vocals to "Jet Lag", Alex Gaskarth is on "Freaking Me Out" and K'naan is on "Summer Paradise". They're definitely a diverse bunch; the only one I've heard of is Natasha because she was big in the UK years ago. But they all work really well and I liked all of their inclusions.

The album is a short one, sadly, with only 11 tracks but they're all excellent. I haven't once wanted to skip a track and they melodies and choruses are all so easy to pick up on that I'm singing along. "You Suck At Love", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" and "Jet Lag" kick the album off, all high-tempo, fast-paced songs. All are brilliant and all were released in the build-up to the release of the album. Things slow-down a little with "Astronaut", a song that has really grown on me with each listen. "Loser of the Year" and "Anywhere Else But Here" are two more big songs. "Loser of the Year" seemed a bit childish when I first heard it, but the more I listen, the more I enjoy and I loved "Anywhere Else But Here" from the first listen. "Freaking Me Out" is probably my least favourite song on the album, but it's still poppy enough for me to not skip it. "Summer Paradise" is another favourite, I love K'naan's rap and it's just a perfect lazy summer track. Things slow down again with the brilliant "Gone Too Soon" - unlike most pop-punk bands, Simple Plan excel with their ballads and they're a big draw for me. There's one last upbeat song in "Last One Standing", again it's not as good as the rest of the album but it's good enough. The album ends with "This Song Saved My Life", which is rapidly becoming my favourite song on the album. It caps off the album beautifully.

Get Your Heart On! was well worth the wait. It seems absolutely ages and ages since Simple Plan was released, so I'm really pleased they're back and I'm even more pleased that they're better than ever. So far, for me, I've loved everything Simple Plan has brought out and Get Your Heart On! is a worthy addition to their three previous albums. I love it, plain and simple. The songs are catchy, the ballads are excellent and the collaborations REALLY work. I don't know what else I can say, I loved it and can see me listening to it for ages to come.