Album good pop

Jake Army of Love Reunion Records Inc. 02341-0071-2

I like soda. Every once in a while it’s great to kick back with a nice can of Diet Coke and just enjoy life. For a brief moment that beverage seems so satisfying. Then I remember just what it is. It’s pop.

Which is exactly what Army of Love is. Pop. Pure and simple. There are some nice songs on the album. The guitar work is pretty good in spots. However, when you boil it all down this album from Jake is teeny-bop pop. Which is not to say that it isn’t good at being pop. As pop music goes, Jake is right in the thick of things. If you need an alternative from Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, Soul Decision and many others, Jake would be a decent match.

The CD contains enhanced content. For the uninitiated an Enhanced CD has additional content that you can’t get by merely playing the audio CD. As Enhanced CDs go, there isn’t much on the disc. There is an interview with the band and a music video for the title track. There is no interface to select the interview and music video as they are just placed in a folder and you double-click to open each item.

The band maintains that they are trying to separate themselves from the “boy band” label. However, this album does little to dispel that label, and in many respects only serves to cement it. So, while it doesn’t offer any particularly great music, it is a good alternative to many other pop groups in the secular market today.

Fizzy. Sweet. Pop. Not bad. Not great.

Clay Bergen lives and teaches in big River, Sask.