Call Peter and get him to smash up the Flux Capacitor; you don’t want to see the future. If this is what’s multi-platinum, the Year 3000 is a bland dystopia ruled by cryogenically preserved X Factor fans.

Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. Here in 2016, it’s been thirteen years since Busted released A Present for Everyone. Several questionable solo careers and one McBusted tour later, the band’s back together. This time around, the boys have jacked in guitars and goofy grins for synths and sample pads. This is part of a glossy, new production, courtesy of John Fields. And the result is… okay. But that’s about it.

Opening track ‘Coming Home’ sets the precedent. The boys exchange soul-searching lyrics about where life is headed (and, for some reason, the beauty of the Taj Mahal) over sparse beats from a drum pad. This is interspersed with big choruses of “I’m coming home”, complete with cheesy synth hook. Evoking the synth-pop vibe revived by bands like M83, the message is pretty clear. Busted have moved on. They’re cool now.

There are some funky highlights. Lively ‘I Will Break Your Heart’ offers a cheeky sax solo, whilst the guitar-driven groove of ‘On What You’re On’ brings a fun, Daft Punk inspired dance-fest. But often, as with ‘Thinking of You’, the record feels blandly produced and overly reliant on simplistic choruses.

Listening to Night Driver, it’s hard to believe these are the pop-punk boys who once sang an ode to their teacher’s ass. It’s enjoyable in places, a successful reinvention no doubt, but you can’t help feeling Busted have lost their sense of fun in the process.

But who knows? Maybe in the Year 3000, when everyone’s living underwater, this washed-up record will fare a little better.

Sam Corcoran

(Image: Digital Spy)