The Populars’ A Pill For Everyone is a frustratingly inconsistent effort by this small-town Ontario band. Resembling a sort of Fall Out Boy-lite, the band’s attempt to blend pop melodies with adolescent cynicism meets with little success.

The band does show a penchant for writing great hooks, as on “Can You Keep a Secret,” but there are too few on the album to make it truly memorable. Give them credit, though for the album’s best moment — the incessantly catchy “You Took My Ball Away.” They are well aware of its charm, repeating the chorus ad nauseum.

When these two songs are taken away, what’s left is a choppy collection of half-realized ideas. Early tracks like “Teenage Party Girl” and “I Feel Better Now” are underdeveloped, and A Pill For Everyone never recovers.