I know what you critics out there are going to say, and yes, Nerf Herder is indeed a good band. Face it, ladies, gentlemen, and dogs of the audience: the world needs a good laugh here and there, and having Nerf Herder around was a good way of doing it. Not many bands can get away with singing the line, "Sorry I jacked off outside of your window while you were sleeping...I thought you'd never know." Blink 182, yes, and maybe Bowling for Soup, but there's something about the pop/punk quality of Nerf Herder's music that makes you smile. Is it Parry Gripp's snotty, nasal vocals, or the fact that an E chord is used in almost every song? Probably not. Maybe it's the fact that they sound like they recorded directly from the garage, but again, maybe it's because of the lyrics that strive so hard and succeed to be hilarious.
Opening with the track "Down on Haley" was a good idea; it's quite catchy and well done with some good bass lines and drum beats. The guitar is substandard; it's as if Parry and the other guitarist decided to quit after he learned the EADGB chords and power chords. Personally, it all sounds the same to me, but, then again, what do I know? I'm just a rookie on these boards with douchebags out there to be online critics.
But.
Like said earlier, Nerf Herder has a childish quality to it, and one can wonder which audience this music was intended for. The lyrics sound mildly explicit for the teen audience, but tracks like "I Only Eat Candy" sound like something They Might Be Giants would sing for a group of four year olds. (Last I checked they were no longer rock...or whatever they were.)
Some tracks sound mature, with very immature lyrics. 'Van Halen' is a prime example of this. Personally, this song irritates the hell out of me, but it sounds like it was recorded (the instrumentals, anyway) by a total different band. ...And then Parry starts singing. This song does include a pretty interesting music video.
I know I've reviewed two other albums as classics. This one doesn't come close. It's funny, it's energetic, it's Simple Plan with stupid lyrics. (By stupid I mean goofy.) I like this album, honestly, but it's not even close to Nerf Herder's best. It does have some saving graces though: the hilarious "Sorry", the ever-catchy "Diana", and the opening track "Down on Haley", which is about a crime-ridden street with hookers and the like.
Sure, this review was terrible, but so were the other seven songs on the album.
I wouldn't buy it. Just download the songs off Limewire or something, or, better yet, listen to their other albums which are way better. (How to Meet Girls, American Cheese...)
