

A quarter-century after “How You Remind Me” catapulted Nickelback into the worldwide spotlight, the rockers from Hanna, Alberta, are still growing up and refining their take on post-grunge, combining hummable hooks and heartland grit. Nickelback’s 11th album has big rock moments like “Rattle the Cage,” which is punctuated by scorching solos from Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5, and “Chasin’ Famous,” which drives its acerbic lyrics home with grinding riffs. But they’re also taking the album’s title to heart and trying new things: “Technicolor Steamboat,” which is introduced by a Willy Wonka-channeling Ryan Reynolds, is Nickelback’s take on sitar-laced psychedelia, while “If I Don’t Go” is a small-town lament that takes cues from modern country’s more brooding moments. That song’s frustrations are counterbalanced by calls for hope and unity, like the stomp-clap “Hey Jude” update “Simple Song” and the rousing “Lift Somebody Up,” which drives home its message about helping out others with a packed guest list—blues wizard Joe Bonamassa and Shinedown’s Zach Myers sit in on guitar, Tommy Lee and Charlie Benante bang the drums, and Sammy Hagar supports Chad Kroeger on vocals alongside Shinedown’s Brent Smith.