FM Static’s rock ‘n’ roll credo remains decidedly simple—no pressure, just fun. Unabashed, summertime, walk-in-the-park, roll-down-your-windows-on-a-road trip kinda fun. No worries. No posing. No pretense. No problem.

One might wonder if the Toronto-based band’s collective attitude changed after its 2003 debut, What Are You Waiting For (Tooth & Nail) moved a surprising 60,000 units—a staggering figure for a side project—but leader, vocalist, and lyricist Trevor McNevan is resolute.

“There are no clichés with FM Static,” he states plainly. “We write music we think is fun. We just want it to be natural, and with no added pressures of trying to sound like this or that going on around us.”

Buoyed by that refreshing attitude and the teeming mass of fans the fellas found over the last two years, FM Static returns triumphantly with Critically Ashamed, an infectious sophomore assembly of 11 original pop-rock tracks that—along with being more than ready for airplay—crackle with lyrics that are at-once filled with good-natured humor, keenly observant sarcasm, and even at times with reflective empathy.

“The best way to describe Critically Ashamed is that we want it to be people’s summer record,” McNevan says without a hint of irony. “You know those records in your collection that you associate with vacation from school? The ones you play when you’re thinking about warm weather and some good old fashioned summer fun? For me it was the Steve Miller Band, and the Weezer Blue album—each song has a face. You listen to the music and it takes you back, you remember what you were doing and who you spent time with. Well, we want people to associate this record with the best summer of their lives.”

The sound of FM Static’s newest offering is a far cry from the sonics generated by the band that McNevan and drummer Steve Augustine spend most of their time with. (Shhh! It’s Thousand Foot Krutch…don’t tell!) And that’s a big part of FM Static’s appeal, McNevan notes.

“Steve and I knew FM Static was a side project,” he explains. “But we don’t treat it with any less interest—it’s just that we’re usually kept so busy touring and record with TFK that we don’t get to spend as much time with it.”

You wouldn’t guess by the quality and maturity of the Critically Ashamed tracks—which, not incidentally, were self-produced by McNevan and Augustine in a small studio where they worked with friends to round out the music.

The infectious “Flop Culture” is a sneering-with-a-smile observation on the often ridiculous machinations of celebrity lives and attitudes. And even more moving than the hook-filled verses and choruses is McNeven’s ear-bending lyrics: “Remember Axl telling us to have patience / and records sold without any affiliation / when William Hung and music still had no relation / someone tell Janet, bring back the rhythm nation / no gloves, no zipper coats / no more yellow submarines or kokomos / if we could ask Luther Vandross, I bet he’d wonder the same…”

McNevan & Co. don’t let up. “The Next Big Thing”—a swirling rocker akin to a punked-out Third Eye Blind—tackles the emptiness of stardom that can so easily ensnare the most well-meaning Christian bands: There’s no way of knowin’ just where you are goin’/ they’ll take you for every last second and moment / “I’m so pleased to meet you, ” is how they will greet you / while they’re lookin’ over your shoulder / I’ve seen all the faces, been millions of places / it’s taken a lot not to lose all my patience / for every good thing comes, a whole lot of heartache / I’ve tried hard to learn from all of my mistakes…”

For McNevan, it’s a fun sounding song with a huge warning. “It’s a topic I wanted to write about,” he notes. “When you get signed, and your first record comes out, there’s always buzz about your band—and with that comes the media, the way they talk to you. It’s a funny thing: To be good you almost have to convince yourself that you’re the best thing out there, and new artists buy into that. It’s unfortunate.”

Along with provocative barnburners such as “America’s Next Freak” and tender acoustic ballads such as “Tonight” and “Moment of Truth” (the tune McNevan used to propose to his wife), FM Static is proving once again proving that their fun, no-pressure approach is the best for them.

“We feel blessed to be doing this,” McNevan concludes about his Critically Ashamed experience. “This record is exactly what we wanted our sophomore record to be… nothing but fun for us.”