After a lengthy absence – it’s been six years since last LP, Taking One For The Team – Simple Plan make their long-awaited return with Harder Than It Looks, the Canadian pop-punks’ first album without major label backing. The year 2022 may be more interested in those solo artists – Machine Gun Kelly, jxdn, YUNGBLUD – who blend the classic pop-punk sound with hip-hop and Gen Z‑isms, but that’s not deterred the Montreal natives from sticking to what they do best: dishing out nostalgic pop-punk packed full of charm and heart. There’s plenty of emotion present on Harder Than It Looks, something evidenced by world-weary opener Wake Me Up (When This Nightmare’s Over), as well as recent single Ruin My Life – which features Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley – and The Antidote. The latter is the p...
