Sorry For Partyin' By Bowling for Soup

On their new album, “Sorry For Partyin,’” Bowling For Soup really do make listening to the most nonsensical rubbish quite enjoyable. The album title is fitting because the record as a whole sounds much more like a group of friends cracking open a few beers and having a jam session in their garage than a band trying to make a perfect album. But they should not be apologizing for partying, they should be inviting everyone round to join in the fun you can hear on all the songs.

While the underlying genre of the group is a light-hearted pop-punk vibe, Bowling For Soup flows from playing a full-out polka on “Belgium Polka,” to poking fun at fast-paced dance music on “A Really Cool Dance Song.” The track “Hooray For Beer” is radio friendly pop-rock, as is the first single off the album, “My Wena.” These songs show that they may pretend not to have a care in the world, but they’ve still become accomplished musicians and songwriters somewhere along their beer-filled path.

Other highlights include “I Can’t Stand L.A.,” a driving tune about all the places that band loves throughout America and the best things to do there, culminating in just how much they don’t like Los Angeles. It’s witty and well done and tells a story through the song instead of relying on repetitive verses. “No Hablo Ingles” has a similar setup where the band use that one Spanish line to get out of every sticky situation they can think of in three and a half minutes. It’ll have you laughing out loud in between singing along.

The only time the message of the songs sound vaguely serious is on “Me With No You” and “Love Goes Boom,” when the emotion behind the lyrics sounds true and heart-felt. But they quickly counters this with tongue-in-cheek songs like “I Don’t Wish You Were Dead Anymore,” with lyrics like: “It’s a funny thing, but now that you’re gone I don’t wish you were dead anymore.”

These Texas rockers have a unique sense of humor that emanates from all of their music. It might take a while (and a very silly mindset) to get used to it, but once you do you’ll repeat “Sorry For Partyin’” many a time – it’s a great musical work!