Chris Carrabba is the epitome of emo music and he knows it.

While he is able to take any subject, make it depressing as all get up and throw a minor-key chord progression behind it, he also knows his fans love to wallow in self pity with him. It’s why he does what he does. Listening to Carrabba cry in every song can take a bad day and turn it worse. After all, he is emo – a word that will haunt him until the day he dies.

Our Lady Peace on the other hand has been to the edge of despair and back again and has lived to tell the tale. The band has been in your shoes, but instead of complaining about all that has gone wrong, the group sings that everything will be all right with reassuring lyrics and self discovery intertwined within its music.

Running bass lines, clanging, layered guitars and smooth leads compliment track after track without getting too flashy or preachy.

Raine Maida’s youthful screams and vocals hang on the edge of a teary-eyed response to all the problems in the world today and vocal harmonies complete the songs.

“Love and Trust” offers the strongest sense of the pop element in the music while “The World on a String” is a combination of the Strokes guitar style and Oasis’ lyrical format and is a bit of a departure from the rest of the album.

“Will the Future Blame Us” brings a reassuring message of “come home” repeated throughout, leaving one with a sense of relief.

While its no “Naveed” in the heavy musical sense and raw lyrics, it offers more than 2002’s radio staple “Somewhere Out There.”

Carrabba should take notes from Our Lady Peace. He might be able to get through a day without crying,