any people, myself included, consider Atom’s 1997 album A Society of People Named Elihu a masterpiece. On Elihu, Atom came off at times like a comic genius. Songs like "Happy Birthday Ralph" present a hilarious take on life that only someone somewhat jaded by punk rock, in general, can produce. With his kitschy synths, he expertly blended two of the most mystifying genres; new wave and punk, creating a great tone out of otherwise seemingly tired genres.

The first time I heard album opener, "Undercover Funny" I felt a pain deep within. The burpy synths had been toned down, replaced with tired guitar sounds. The pop song formula, which Atom had so brilliantly analyzed and rearranged in the past, was strictly adhered to. Worst of all, there was no humor. "You’re undercover funny," he sings. "You’re only funny when I’m not around"; he describes the boringness of some person he knows. Atom, both as a musician and as a critic of the culture of music, has made a horrible album.

When one listened to Atom records in the past, you would hear a celebration of music of the past. The ridiculous metal guitars were parodied hilariously by worthy MIDI keyboards, but here they are reveled in, with no irony intended. "Shopping Spree" starts with such guitars, plunking out a tiresome "heavy" riff. We are asleep before Atom begins yapping disconnected and unfunny lyrics. The song tries to redeem itself with a clunky keyboard breakdown, but fails miserably. "Anarchy Means I Litter" attempts to be a clever dissection of poser society, but fails to get much deeper than the title lyric.

The production even alerts us to Atom’s lack of ideas. His charming squeal is placed way back in the mix, as if to admit the lack of decent lyrical substance. Songs once about having fun, celebrations of the genre specific glory, now confine themselves to novelty status. Redefining Music, such an ambitious title, serves only to change our definition of poor Atom.