Get Up Kids keyboardist
James Dewees' seventh go-round under the
Reggie and the Full Effect moniker,
41 delivers another sugary blast of hooky, power pop-infused emo-punk that puts the fun in angst. Serious enough to stay relevant to the genre, but administered with the guarded aloofness of a lifelong class clown -- the album jacket is a parody of
Adele's 21 -- the 14-track set sees
Dewees,
My Chemical Romance guitarist Ray Toro, and drummer Jarrod Alexander processing life's myriad aches and pains via the healing power of pick slides and fat synth leads. While there is a propensity for pained, full-throated fist-pumpers like "Il Pesce Svedese," "The Horrible Year," and "Alone Again,"
41 has its fair share of thoughtful and engaging midtempo offerings as well, with highlights arriving via the new wave-inflected "Heartbreak" and the sumptuous closer "Off Delaware." ~ James Christopher Monger