For those out there who have never heard Mest before, you will soon. Mest is a punk band from the south side of Chicago and they have a very eclectic style, unlike most punk-rock bands. Their sound is a mix of punk-rock and ska intertwined with a pop feel. They sound like a mix between punk/pop favorites Green Day, Blink 182 and Sum 41.
“Destination Unknown” is their third major label release on Maverick Records. Arguably their best album to date, “Destination” is bursting with songs that you will listen to over and over. Even if you’re not an avid punk fan, chances are you will find something you like on this album.
“When I get a new CD, the first thing I do is to skip through the songs until I find one that jumps out at me” says Quinnipiac Sophomore Brendan McLane.
If you choose this method the first song that you will notice is “Cadillac,” the third song on the album. I first noticed the heavy bass line that thumps right at the start of the song.
This flows straight into a Limp Bizkit-style guitar riff with an intense drumbeat. “Cadillac” is a song about an ordinary Friday night for the band. This song will appeal to long time punk fans as well as the newly defined MTV pop audience. The album’s outstanding track is called “It’s Over.” It details the fallout between boyfriend and girlfriend when a relationship goes bad.
The one verse that can sum up the entire song goes like this. So you keep holdin’ on/ Your love for her is strong/ Until she says so long/ And you did nothin’ wrong.”
You may be able to relate to this brand of song. Either way, “It’s Over” is a song you’ll hum throughout the day.
For those out there that don’t listen to punk or ska, give this CD a chance. You won’t be disappointed. Mest is blurring the lines between punk and pop, amongst an insurgence of new acts on major and independent labels.
Mest hits the Webster Theater in Hartford on Feb. 27th with pop-punk group Good Charlotte.