The Suicide Machines: The Suicide Machines

Sometimes, bands can't break into the mainstream no matter how commercial or trendy they sound. The Suicide Machines, for what it's worth, played ska-punk before (and while) ska-punk was cool and pop-punk before (and while) pop-punk was cool—and did both better than virtually all the others—yet never broke through beyond modest all-ages shows and the occasional radio spin. Frustration must be setting in, because the band's third album pulls out just about every conceivable stop to score MTV and radio acceptance. There's the cheesy, undeniably catchy ode-to-a-dog single ("Sometimes I Don't Mind"), which ought to mine some novelty attention, and the even catchier two-minute "Permanent Holiday," both of which are as radio-friendly as anything this side of Blink-182. Eventually, the Detroit band resorts to trying on random genres, from thrashy hardcore (the 72-second "Reasons") to dumb rap-metal ("I Hate Everything") to subtle, almost apologetic ska rhythms ("Sincerity"), to the obligatory and insufferable ironic punk cover ("I Never Promised You A Rose Garden"). The mish-mash that dominates the album's second half dulls the impact of The Suicide Machines' considerable pop appeal, but when they're at their best, both album and band are too likably infectious to ignore.