The Plus Nomination - 'The Plus Nomination' (Floppy Cow) Released 12/05/03

The press release opens promisingly: "The year is 2003 and since Krokus, the world hasn't seen much Swiss rock". Obviously, the temptation here is to make constant references to cheese and cuckoo clocks, but this hack promises to do his best to avoid it.

The Plus Nomination used to be called The Latrines, which is fair enough because their music is a bit, well, toilet. They're yet another in a long line of emo-punk-pop groups with nothing really wrong with them other than the fact they're completely indistinguishable from any of their mates' bands. Yes, it's fun, and yes, you can dance to it (The Favey Song is easily as good as anything that, say, The Get Up Kids have put their name to), but there are moments when you may as well be listening to Sum 41. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but chances are, if you've bought this album you'll be more of a credibility-stalking underground freak, and Sum 41 sound-alikes are the last thing you'll want to hear. Still, the year is 2003, and the world demands more Swiss rock. Or so it says here.

Fact: music does not have to conform to any punk rock revolutionary agenda. Further fact: music does not therefore have to push the boundaries of listenability, a la Autechre. Sometimes it's nice to just have something to get drunk, dance and bawl along to in a club. But it should still be more memorable than this. We should demand that our pop music be instantly classic. This, however, is a merely serviceable record, and if it is their argument for more Swiss rock, it contains more holes than their cheese. Sorry.