Hedley - Famous Last Words

Like the Canadian equivalent of Chris Daughtry, ex-Idol contestant Jacob Hoggard walks a fine line between rock & roll rebel and manufactured pop pinup. Famous Last Words, the singer's second album with Hedley, delivers the same kick of Hedley's innumerable pop-punk colleagues, relying on a blend of snot-nosed vocals and guitar muscle that evokes Sr-71 and Hot Topic clothing in the same breath. Melodies abound here, and some -- particularly the candy-coated chorus in "Hand Grenade" -- are genuinely memorable. Still, the whole production is too polished for its own good, with even the best tracks sounding more like the work of a hitmaking machine (think The Matrix in full-fledged Avril mode, or Max Martin collaborating with Fall Out Boy) than something by an actual band. It's a marketable sound, but Famous Last Words is nevertheless derivative and uninspired, as if Hoggard's only goal is to remain relentlessly commercial. With glossy production courtesy of Greig Nori (former manager for Sum 41) and lyrics that long to be scribbled in the margins of schoolkids' textbooks, the album comes off as something genetically engineered to be as digestible as possible. All the usual stops are made, from heartbroken ballads delivered with tough-guy attitude to auto-tuned stabs at inspirational rockers. Hoggard preaches sentiments like "We'll never stop 'cause we're only getting better" and "You know it's never too late, get up and start again" in a strong (albeit nasal) voice, but even those agreeable vocals can't make you forget that you've heard all of this before. Still, Famous Last Words sounds destined for airplay, proving that Jacob Hoggard really does know how to stay in the spotlight. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide