Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me (2006) (2 - Disc Set)

On BARENAKED LADIES ARE ME--the amiable Canadian rock band's first non-holiday studio outing since 2003's EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE--singer/guitarists Steven Page and Ed Robertson and the lads continue in the vein of that previous album, opting for less overt wackiness than on their 1990s records. Whereas making listeners laugh once seemed to be their main objective, the Ladies have become much more intent on creating charmingly straightforward and catchy pop songs, as best revealed on the wonderfully breezy "Easy" and the energetic, guitar-heavy "Wind It Up." Of course, Barenaked Ladies, by name alone, can't completely abandon humor, and they oblige winningly with highly narrative tracks such as "Bank Job," which finds a would-be robber facing a crowd of nuns. No matter how much they mature, the group can't help being a little ridiculous from time to time, and that's ultimately what makes them so appealing.

In addition to BARENAKED LADIES ARE ME, this two-volume digital audio release also includes the band's follow-up, BARENAKED LADIES ARE MEN.