Gravity is not a Fish That You Can Catch. And, as the title might imply, the downward force that strikes the chords on this fifth effort from the Canadian quartet results in a heavy-handed effort that fails to run farther from the pack than Our Lady Peace has previously proven it can go. 1999’s Happiness was one of the most complete rock albums in recent memory thanks to cracking, wishy-washy vocals that swept through the album’s entirety and left an indelible imprint of something different. Gravity is almost completely void of Raine Maida’s urgent, almost-squaking, one-of-a-kind vocals and, save three tracks, almost any sense of creativity.

“Somewhere Out There,” (Gravity’s radio single) is a ballad break after the onslaught of opening tracks, “All For You” and “Do You Like It.” It’s also the only track, in tempo and original composition, that mirrors the glimpse of OLP we saw on Happiness. Following “Somewhere” is “Innocent,” a driven track that spontaneously combusts with the energy in Maida’s voice. Forget looking “Out There” for Gravity’s premiere track- “Innocent” is a little of everything OLP was coupled with a beautiful evolution of sound. The lyrics compare and contrast the dream of fame with the eroding effects that come with glory. As always, lyrically, Our Lady Peace is a step above the competition. Thanks to producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Areosmith), the same can’t be said for sound.

Our Lady Peace sounds no different from any other mainstay on hard rock FM dials across this Clear Channelled country. It’s quite disappointing, really. It’s fair to say that OLP does this manifestation of overblown emotion coupled with man-handled guitars better than most, but what happened to the avant-garde? What happened to the alternative? Good God, guys, what happened to your roots? Granted, second to last in the lineup, “Bring Back The Sun” gives Brit-Pop a run for it’s money with a new sound I would not only expect, but welcome. Problem: three good tracks cannot save a ten track album.

I do not blame the departure from a promising track on the men behind the amps, I blame it on the man behind the glass. Listen to “Somewhere Out There,” “Innocent” and “Bring Back The Sun,” then find your local used-record dealer and make a trade. Gravity is good for what it is, but it’s not what it ought to be. I firmly believe OLP will be back to their alternative ways, but we’ll have to wait.