Riding the musical wave created by the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and a plethora of marginally talented, uncreative hacks combining punk(ish) rhythms and guitar lines with emo whining, The Ataris’ latest, “So Long, Astoria,” is a tepid but tolerable album showcasing the worst in pop punk and emo.

“Astoria” finds the usually amusing Ataris playing one of two roles – mediocre pop punk band and trite, sappy emo outfit. In both cases, the band sounds unoriginal, uninteresting and forced.

On the poppier side, songs like the album’s title track, “Takeoffs and Landings” and the radio-friendly “In This Diary” capitalize on bubbling melodies and loud soft delivery made famous by many a third (or fourth) generation punk group.

On the emo side, the band spews forth jangly guitar lines on “My Reply,” sappy melancholy on “Unopened Letter to the World,” and a mellow, piano accompaniment on the punk ballad “The Saddest Song.” Even the song titles are generic and laughable as songs like “The Hero Dies in this One” and “I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone” blend the band’s nauseating sound with recycled lyrics and cliche melodies.

Although the album isn’t entirely unlistenable, everything on “Astoria” seems forced and generic as The Ataris eschew creativity for poorly done retreads of punk and emo. There’s very few palatable punk bands receiving press lately and The Ataris only add to the sea of mediocrity permeating the punk and emo scenes with each easily disposable track on “So Long, Astoria.”