pretty good, pretty consistent, nothing disagreeable but almost nothing I really like
EDIT: after a lot of exposure and a relisten I don’t think that’s quite true. There’s definitely a specific vibe of song that when they hit they just do so so well. When they’re silly and goofy but also genuine and sweet, they touch on something that’s really strong for me. Their more direct pop stuff I don’t think is all that notable, pretty middling. Their goofiness I don’t think hits nearly as well on their more upbeat stuff, it reads to me as a way to get attention for the sake of getting attention more than anything meaningful for itself. I do think it’s possible to be fun and lighthearted and goofy without crossing that line, but I also think Barenaked Ladies often tread pretty close to it. The commitment to making puns a primary characteristic of their songwriting is great. Ultimately I feel like there are a couple of types of songs that they occasionally hit just right and it’s awesome, but then outside of those times it’s either disappointing because it’s almost-but-not-quite good or because it’s just super mid. I actually think I’m gonna keep the ranking the exact same C+, so that works out)
tunafruitsandwitch 