MxPx lost their way quite some time ago. ‘Life In General’ is one of those all-time great pop-punk records that all kids should own. But somehow, somewhere down the line, the band totally lost it and wrote several ‘pop’ albums that lacked the energy and power that made them so good in the first place. They’re still a great live band, but some of their recent material has sucked the big one. Not so with ‘Left Coast Punk’ which takes things back to the sound of old and sounds so, so much better for it.
Will it gain them legions of new fans and turn them on to MTV? No way – I think MxPx have missed all that no matter what sound they write. But this record will certainly regain a lot of love lost by old fans. ‘One Step Further‘ is like a reunion with a long lost relative, while ‘Desperate To Understand’ has all the hallmarks of the band at their best. Yuri’s drums hit harder than on recent records while Mike and Tom trade vocal blows in great fashion. ‘Broken’ reminds me a little of NOFX actually, as Mike’s nasally vocals take on an extra sneer, while ‘Hopeless Case’ is another return to form.
If you’ve been as disappointed as me when it comes to MxPx‘s recent output then this EP will probably regain a little faith the band still have it in them. There are no ‘…Bremerton’s and no ‘My Life Story’s’ on this record, but it’s still a collection of good songs and a timely reminder just how good the band can be, when they want to be.