Tonight I decided to relive my middle school years by watching all of Simple Plan's music videos in one sitting. I got to watch them evolve from their wild and reckless "GUYS WE ARE SO PUNK ROCK" days to their more mature "Guys, we're really eclectic and never said we were punk rock" days. Pierre's spiky hair flattened, David's eye makeup thickened, and the focus of the songwriting turned from heartbreak and ennui to issues like drunk driving and how crazy the world has turned.
Their more dramatic turns probably garnered critical praise, but I think there's something magical about whiny, spunky kids with guitars that is lost in the process. Listening to their angsty anthems gives the impression that their only real goal was to make music that would reach out to all the kids who feel lost, alone, confused, rejected.
Early adolescence sucks, and continues to get suckier. Expectations are rising, and nobody can really explain why. As much as us old fogeys (hah) may ridicule our younger selves, preteen listlessness is fully justified, and music can be a haven from all that. Simple Plan's songwriting ability may not be dazzling, but that is far outweighed by their dedication to making lonely kids feel less so.
And besides, we're babies ourselves. Who are we to judge?
In other news, "Angst," aside from being a word for nonspecific nervous feelings, is the name of a Romanian super-market chain.
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