Take it easy!
Washington punkers MXPX have another new album out – their 8th studio album in fact, and it's been a funny old road for these guys. They play fun rock that is somewhere around the pop/punk genre and flirts more with bands like Green Day and The Living End, than the Blink's and Bowling For Soups of this world. For me they have always produced albums that just do enough but never go over the mark, and perhaps this is why they never made it any bigger then perhaps they should've. However I was still surprised when I heard that they were with out a record contract a few years back, before SideOneDummy Records saw the sense to sign them.
First song is the mid-tempo 'You Walk, I Run' which is the grittier pop/punk that we have come to expect, however it is worth noting that there seem to be a lack of real punk songs like their classics 'Punk Rawk Show' from the album 'Teenage Politics', and 'The Broken Bones' from '10 Years And Running', which have been replaced by the more thoughtful and gentler punk songs of the likes of '1 And 3', and 'Running Out Of Time'. The more beefier punk songs lie in the pop/punk of 'Breathe Deep' and the quick shot of catchy punk in the anthem-esque glory of 'Make Up Your Mind'.
'Slow Ride' has guitars like Green Day and is another mid-tempo number before things suddenly, and quite unexpectedly turn mellow...First we have a gentle ballad called 'Where Did You Go?' which, and I mean no disrespect, but it could've been written by either Bon Jovi or Simple Plan, with the simple, catchy lyrics played over the sweet music that will have you reaching for your lighter. Then we come to the last three songs that are all acoustic (!?). Apart from a passing resemblance the tune of 'Doo-Ron-ron-ron-Ahh-Doo-Ron-ron', there are some amusing lyrics like, "...My eyes were brown and my hair was blue // Of course they had a problem with my tattoos // I can't please everybody all of the time // but right now all I wanna do is make you mine!...". 'Last Train' is slightly better, and the album finishes with an acoustic version of the first song 'You Walk, I Run', which does go to prove that it works both as a ballad and as a mid-tempo tune.
With 'Lets Rock', it's hard to see where MXPX are going with this album. Last years album, 'Panic' was their best album to date, so perhaps their only way of beating such a catchy punk album was to be more diverse, and arguable they have done just that. 'Lets Rock' certainly is different from all of their other albums, but that's not always a bad thing – although that said, there are a number of bands that tried changing the tried and tested formula and failed to make it. Although I can't see this doing anything other than raise a few eyebrows. It's not the best punk album of the year but it's one of the alternative/punk wildcards of the year. Still a good solid album, and folks, that's the main thing!