Healthy in Paranoid Times

Though many bands from the post-grunge, alternative-rock boom of the mid-1990s quickly fell by the wayside (remember Sponge or Candlebox?), Canada's Our Lady Peace managed to craft a series of commercially successful albums well into the first decade of the 21st century. Like Matchbox Twenty and Collective Soul, the group has a longevity that can be attributed to a straightforward rock sound marked by catchy pop hooks and emotional, soul-searching vocals, in this case provided by frontman Raine Maida. On 2005's HEALTHY IN PARANOID TIMES, Maida and company strive for the socially conscious urgency of early U2, and this thoughtful approach makes OLP stand out from its peers, particularly on the fast-paced "Where Are You" and "Al Genina (Leave the Light On)," which closes the record in mesmerizingly melancholy fashion.