Silver Side Up

Nickelback are living proof that it only takes one great tune to break a band worldwide.

‘How You Remind Me’ has been lodged in the charts of countries, playlists of radio stations and minds of people all round the globe for months now.

It deserves the attention. Everything about this track works, and works brilliantly. The lyrics are pithy, the guitars vibrant and propulsive and the melody gorgeously memorable. It would be a strong contender for the single of any year.

Unfortunately, nothing else on the album comes close to the standard of this song, and only a couple of tracks push their way into the same stratosphere. For the most part, Nickelback dwell in the realm of bombast. Truth be told, it eventually becomes a source of amazement that the group could have ever come up with the comparative subtlety of their first single.

Chad Kroeger’s lyrics bludgeon you over the head with their meaning. “I want to rip his heart out” and “Kicking your ass would be a pleasure” are just some of the more choice lines. The music is made to match – cheesy electric guitar squalls segueing into grindingly repetitive power chords and overly-frenetic drumming.

Maybe next time Nickelback will figure out how to extend their range. For now, though, you’re better off just buying the single.