{$Simple Plan}'s 2002 debut followed in the undeniably successful footsteps of {$blink-182}. But while {^No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls} appropriated that trio's boundless energy and focus on melody, {$Simple Plan} was sweet where {$blink} was crass. {&"I'm Just a Kid,"} {&"The Worst Day Ever,"} {&"I'd Do Anything"} -- their song titles could have doubled for after-school specials. {$The Plan}'s smiling approach to the {\punk-pop} sound was wildly successful, and put them at the genre's top tier. But like their peers, 2004 finds them seeing its sonic limitations. {$Good Charlotte} went for epic scope with their 2004 entry {^Chronicles of Life and Death}, {$Sum 41}'s {^Chuck} bared the band's newfound conscience over salvos derived from {\hardcore} and {\metal}, and {$Simple Plan}'s {^Still Not Getting Any...} de-emphasizes {\punk-pop} hyperactivity in favor of straightforward, well-crafted modern {\rock}. "Do you ever feel out of place?" {$Pierre Bouvier} sings in {&"Welcome to My Life,"} the album's first single. "Like somehow you don't belong/And no one understands you?" It returns to the band's central themes of growing up, getting by, and being part of something bigger. But the song's half-time arrangement and terrific chorus hook aren't too far from the slick, ringing {\pop} of {$Avril Lavigne}. {&"Thank You,"} {&"Jump,"} and {&"Promise"} are of the energetic {^No Pads, No Helmets} mold. But tracks like {&"Perfect World,"} {&"Everytime,"} and {&"Crazy"} follow {&"Life"}'s mid-tempo lead, and also tie {$Simple Plan}'s voice-of-the-kids stance to lyrics questioning the world around them. "The future is ours/It's in our hands," says the chorus of {&"One,"} and its big-guitar sound is matched to a fleet of surging violins. The shift to a more dynamically rich sound suits {$Simple Plan} just fine. As {^Still Not Getting Any...}'s title and rowdier moments prove, they can still bring the spunky crowd-pleasers. But it's the album's less raucous and more thoughtful side that shows {$Simple Plan}'s investment in the future. [{^Still Not Getting Any...} was available in three different covers; it was also issued in a bonus-DVD format.] ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide