Bowling For Soup

Sharp comedy meets explosive, elastic pop-punk in the output of Texas four-piece Bowling for Soup (named in honour of a Steve Martin stand-up sketch) — a formula that found greater purchase here in the U.K. with the Top 10 single "Girl All the Bad Guys Want" than in the U.S., where it made only the outer reaches of the Hot 100. The faux-passion injected into Britney's ". . . Baby One More Time" speaks volumes. The Gilligan's Island theme gets a sprightly BFS overhaul in Next Steps.

The key to a great cover is often the chasm of difference that separates it from the source: bear that in mind, and a Flock of Seagulls' '80s hit "I Ran (So Far Away)" — press-ganged into willing submission by BFS's bludgeoning guitars — will never sound the same again. For a taste of the band's early output, check out the feel-better-than-good "Friday" from their 1998 debut album, Rock on Honorable Ones!!!.

"She was gonna be an actress, she was gonna be a star/She was gonna shake her a** on the hood of Whitesnake's car." This killer line (from "1985"), articulating the shattered dreams of (in Yank-speak) a "soccer mom", highlights the strength of the Stateside pop-punk movement — Bowling for Soup supplied the definitive version, but it was originally recorded by SR-71 (whose lead singer, Mitch Allen, contributes backing vocals here). The track is a perfect fit for BFS, with its fizzing melody, arena-sized chords, and satirical finesse. Get stuck into the best of the band's back catalogue to date, featuring first-rate demolitions of Fergie ("London Bridge") and Modern English ("I Melt with You").