Puddle of Mudd Splashes Back into Fame

Puddle of Mudd shook up the rock world with their first album in 2001, Come Clean. It might not have been everyones' cup of tea, but it received tremendous air time. A few years later they tried to repeat their former success with Life on Display (2003). Unfortunately, the same buzz and uniqueness were not there, especially with the loss of two band members. Life on Display ended up as merely an afterthought of their former success. But Puddle of Mudd would not stay downtrodden for too long.

Famous premiered October 9, 2007 and just a few months later it became clear that Puddle of Mudd had rebounded in popular success. Nevertheless, their artistic merit is still under scrutiny. In the long haul, will they be filed as just another band that tried to mimic Nirvana's definitive style? Or will they be seen as a band that paved their own path for a new generation?

The most striking feature of Puddle of Mudd's sound has always been the unusual vocal styling of lead singer Wesley Reid Scantlin. His strained voice adds a soulful tone to many of their songs. However, he treads a fine line and occasionally lapses into manly whining. More so in Famous than any of their previous albums, it becomes clear that Scantlin's voice is not suited to all genres; check out the ear searing ballad "We Don't Have to Look Back Now" for details. Without Scantlin's vocals, Puddle of Mudd does not have much of a safety net. Their lyrics are generally simplistic and their instrumentation is typical.

It was easier for the band to roll past their weaknesses on their first album when they were just emerging into the spotlight. They had strong basic song ideas, like the catchy and offbeat "She Hates Me." While "Psycho" serves as the strongest track on the album and continues this path somewhat (it also boasts an entertaining music video), their attempts at diversity fail them. Without their unapologetic proclamation of misfit status, their songs come off as less than exciting and genuine. "It Was Faith," "We Don't Have to Look Back Now," "Radiate," and "If I Could Love You" are notable casualties to this lack. A few songs also boast a surplus of repetition with a deficit of thought, such as "I'm So Sure" and "Livin' On Borrowed Time."

One of the singles from the album also titles the album, "Famous." This song is about the drive to become famous and continues a long line of similarly themed songs, most recently Nickelback's "Rockstar." The chorus borrows the line "money is for nothing and the chicks are for free" from the classic Dire Straits song, "Money For Nothing." While the song is far from the weakest on the album, it does demonstrate Puddle of Mudd's inability to step out of the shadow of the rock greats. If you're interested in Puddle of Mudd, start with their first album. Famous is only for their more tenacious fans. Or maybe I'm the schizophrenic psycho.