Puddle of Mudd
Come Clean

What a disappointment.
I haven't even finished listening to the whole CD that just arrived by mail (ordered from America since it's not available here yet) and I'm already pissed. I was so fascinated by the single "Control" that's been playing on MTV for a few weeks that I didn't think twice about purchasing "Come Clean" online for $15 with my credit card. I thought, "Cool, it's cheap and definitely a gem since Interscope Records is an indie label, I won't regret it, and furthermore, I'm among the first to listen to it in Europe."

Now, however, I think I will never do it again.
Yet even in the video after the second or third viewing, the bassist made me raise some doubts, with that bandana and trendy jeans, he looked out of place, like one of the N'Sync or Backstreet Boys who ended up in Puddle of Mudd thanks to a TV selection/production like No-Angels, Brosis, or O-Town. But I dismissed the prejudices, captivated by the rhythm of "Control," and now I realize I was wrong again.

Without a doubt, "Control" is an excellent song, full of energy, with edgy and intense guitars and an exhilarating chorus, but I've realized that it's the usual good single that precedes a crappy album: the remaining 10 tracks are, in fact, incredibly boring, all the same, lacking character and belonging to that post-grunge hard rock genre that nobody likes (maybe only Nickelback and Creed).

The drums follow an amateurish pace (like a ballroom dancing night in Romagna) from a drum machine, the bass doesn't exist, and the guitars are far from "Control," not creative at all.
Some hints remind me of Alice in Chains or Stone Temple Pilots, but overall, the concept doesn't work!

And it's not over: Wesley Reid Scantin not only looks but also sings like K. Cobain, blatantly imitating him, damn, Puddle of Mudd is an offense on all fronts, and Interscope should be ashamed.

Finally, even the black and white cover is something we've seen before: a kid peeing on a bush.
If you really have money to waste, at most, buy the single "Control," but keep your hands off the album. If "Come Clean" were a movie, it would be the classic lousy Hollywood production we call an "americanata" in our parts. What a nuisance, $15.