Too Cool to Care

Recording information: Amerycan Studios, No. Hollywood, CA; Central Command Studios, Hollywood, CA; Genuine Studios, No. Hollywood, CA; Plush Recording Studios, Orlando, FL; The Indie-Pop Sweat Shop; Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Rather than stick with the minimal "jerk" sound of their debut, Too Cool to Care suggests the New Boyz bought up all the Taio Cruz, Flo Rida, Asher Roth, and Far East Movement releases they could find and absorbed all the flashiest bits those pop-rap success stories had to offer. What they add to the mix are enough penis jokes to scare all parents, but get past -- or embrace -- this unholy mix of teen slang and whore talk and the pop-rap duo falls into the "so dumb, it's fun" category, as if Bill and Ted were spliced with the Neptunes and let loose in the studio. "Magazine Girl" does little but list fashion and music rags while going through all the usual clichés ("You should be on the front page"), but its chorus and crystal-clear ultra-sheen production are both irresistible to those who enjoy polished, teen-aimed R&B. "Meet My Mom" gives 3OH!3 and Cash Cash some competition when it comes to the ridiculous synth pop singalong, and when "girl you look better with" ends up the big hook behind the Chris Brown feature "Better with the Lights Off," it's hard to think of a grander moment that the entire snotty-males-in-their-early-twenties movement has yet offered. Hang with the Odd Future crew if you want unredeemable, possibly ironic music with some underground flair, but for questionable morals with mass appeal, Too Cool to Care should have you in its title's mindset after just a couple spins. ~ David Jeffries