Serial Joe

There are only two outcomes when a music critic is given the new Serial Joe CD: said critic is pleasantly surprised by the toe-tapping quality of the disk or the writer receives the painful task of talking about (Last Chance) At The Romance Dance. Admittedly, I enjoy those teenaged rock bands with the best of them. I have Silverchair discs. This Newmarket, ON, quartet of 17-year-old boys is, to say the very least, in that awkward no-man's land between youth and adult life. The result: a painful record that says nothing in a very polished and produced package. Have you seen the promo photos for this record? Poor, poor Serial Joe, they have been transformed (the band members may not even be aware of the transformation) into a piss poor pop band. Let's be honest, the Backstreet Boys they aren't, and in this rebirth they have lost the cute little edge of the songs found of 2000's Face Down. My advice? Boys, please get away from your parents and into the studio with some "kick you in the shins" producer that is capable of pulling that "edge" out. This album is a write off, but hey, we all make mistakes.