Don't Tread on Me (by 311, Rock)

On their eighth album since 1992, 311 deliver a collection of reggae-tinged pop that is pleasant and mostly positive, but certainly not groundbreaking. The only edginess appears in an occasional reference to drinking and an occasional lyric that might be disturbing to younger fans (atomic bomb imagery in "Solar Flame," for example). But DON'T TREAD ON ME is mostly listener-friendly, accessible, perky pop. There's no sense of abandon, no loss of control. Even the tunes that are meant to sound hard-edged come across as studied and contained. Always in control, the quintet ends up sounding at times like a demonstration of "rock & roll 101" (note the self-consciously accomplished guitar solos); at other times, more like a well-produced toothpaste or soda-pop commercial.

There's a positive, good-hearted spin to most of the lyrics on Don't Tread on Me, and an infectious sweetness on the carefully constructed songs. But if you're looking for the wild heart of rock & roll or a moment of full-tilt passion, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Released on: August 16, 2005
Label: Volcano
Genre: Rock