Wasting Time
Mest hail from Chicago but their hearts are in the Southern California-style punk made famous byGreen DayandGoldfinger.  (In fact, this release was produced by Goldfinger's John Feldmann, who also encouraged the band to record their first demo tape.)  The result sounds too much like their influences. Though solid and crunchy, the songs onWasting Time, Mest's major-label debut, mostly come across as anonymous-sounding anthems for the hyperactive skateboard set. However, there are a couple of moments when the band proves that there's muscle beneath the mush. The hilariously titled "Richard Marxism" sears, cajoles, and busts out with a hook as big as aBlink 182single. "Drawing Board" has the same vibe, with the overdubbed harmonies of frontman Tony Lavato adding a necessary melancholic twinge to the tune. Still, this one's for die-hard power-pop fans only.--Jason Josephes