At that point, they should have called it quits � or at least severely adjusted their extremely grunge-derivative sound. Instead, they kept trying to put out the next Nevermind. The new Famous is exactly what you'd expect from them, meaning it's always inoffensive, often catchy and never innovative.

To be sure, the band's sincerity earns it a few points. The title track unleashes an energetic assault on listeners' ears, and singer Wes Scantlin does his absolute best Layne Staley imitation on "Livin' on Borrowed Time."

And of course, more than a few power ballads show up. "It Was Faith," "We Don't Have to Look Back Now" and "Thinking about You" should give middle school dance DJs plenty to work with.

However, a few outright flops tarnish Famous's sheen, even as a generic rock record. Two show attempts to re-create old hits -- "Psycho" comes off like a half-hearted "She Hates Me," and the riff to "Radiate" apes the guitar harmonics of "Blurry."

Also, the spoken-word intro to "I'm So Sure" sounds like an excerpt from a 13-year-old girl's diary: "I'm so sure / What a snotty thing to say / Stuck-up people always get their way / They think they're so cool / These are the kind of people that you drool over / That is because they don't really care / Except about their fingernails and their long pretty hair / Go up to one of these girls someday and say, 'I think I've found your cure' / And I'll bet they'll turn their back and say 'I'm so sure.'"

There's really no reason to spend money on Famous. But if one of its singles comes on the radio, there's probably no need to change the station, either.