Review Summary: Mest have produced a sound generic and approachable enough to appeal to the masses, whilst remaining mature and exciting enough to keep those who take their music listening more seriously engaged. If you still enjoy pop-punk, that is.
Mest has quite a history, both musically and as a band. They've never released an album that sounded like the previous one, and this comeback continues the tradition. Faster, and featuring more of a metal-core influence instrumentally (though still very much a pop-punk record), it's quite a departure from past sounds Mest has released, while still unmistakably Mest. Which is odd in itself, because this isn't Mest. At least to me.
Mest disbanded eight years ago due to some legal issues with front man Tony Lovato. Tony made small attempts over the years at getting his brother and the guys back together, but always to no avail. Now it's one thing when a band goes through lineup changes over the years and wind up with only one or two original members (ie. Escape the Fate, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Taking Back Sunday, etc...). But here we are eight years later, and Tony Lovato returns with a new lineup of guys under the same name. It just comes off as a bit egotistical, and it's due to this that 'Not What You Expected' seems to lack an identity of its own.
It's a solidly written and performed record, and should prove fun to anyone who's a fan of pop-punk or even metal-core to even a small degree. Now when I say metal-core, that shouldn't be taken too heavily. This is not an aggressive or angry album. In fact, it's generally very bright in its message of dealing with the past and moving on to something better, it's a pop-punk CD. With this message though, there's this strange juxtaposition that Tony is very much stuck in the "good ole' days". I genuinely don't think it would seem this way to me if they hadn't decided to call this new band "Mest". But lyrics such as 'I was never gonna' let go / 'cause this life is all that I know" and "I almost had it all / I almost had to fall / I've been close to the top / and closer to the bottom" make it sound like Tony is really struggling to let go of days that were just fun. Overall, I really appreciate this album's message though, because it isn't some guy crying for help. It's some guy telling everyone else to buck up and move on. Even though it sounds like Tony wrote the lyrics to convince himself of their message.
Songs like 'Radio (Something to Believe)' and 'One Life' deal with living your life the way you want to live it. You have nothing to apologize for as long as you're making yourself happy. Both songs are about choosing your path and not letting anyone else tell you that another path would be better for you. Both of these songs are fast paced and ridiculously catchy.
That's the formula for most of this album though. Pop-punk hooks and double-bass pedal drumming with the occasional breakdown or solo. For the most part it actually works really well. These songs WILL get stuck in your head, and have you singing along and jamming out in the shower. It just feels repetitive after a bit. All the songs follow nearly the same formula.
Save for album ballad 'Not This Again'. This song could honestly have a couple interpretations: one being a literal story of losing a father, and the other being a looser interpretation of being stuck in the same cycle. This is track seven of eleven, and really could have come later on the album, or even closed it out. It's a great song, and a nice change of pace. Instrumentally, the pieces fit together and flow nicely. Tony's vocals sound passionate, like he really wants you to relate. The lyrics are sincere and don't sound like they came from a 13 year old's diary, which is extremely relieving.
That's actually something Tony did very well here. I love music that takes itself seriously and really tries to make a sort of connection either through the music or through the lyrics. The music for this album helps carry it along and keep it exciting for you to stay engaged, but the lyrics are genuinely ones you can relate to, and they're written in a way that doesn't sound extremely whiny.
The worst the lyrics get are probably break-up song 'M.D.M.A' which as a break-up song isn't really 'I'm so lost without you, please come back to me' so much as it is about how people change, sometimes for the worst, and it's better to leave those people in the past. So still not terrible, but the closest you're going to get to Brendon Urie status 'teenage girl diary' lyrics.
Second song 'Almost' was the first single from this new Mest, released a year or two before the album. This is probably the heaviest song on the album, starting off with double-bass pedals and a ferocious (by pop-punk standards) breakdown. This song features the most strained vocals I've ever heard Tony produce. This song comes off as possibly the most negative song on the album, but would be a great one live and is one of the catchiest on the album. It really marks the departure from past Mest sounds.
Another track that deserves mention is 'Good Die Young'. This song better be on the band's live set. It's fast, passionate, features all the kinds of vocals a song needs to get a crowd involved from chanting "oh-oh-oh's" to a soaring chorus and verses that would make any crowd erupt. It's a great song, possibly my favorite on the record. It's tightly knit and mostly carried by the vocals, but that by no means is a bad thing. You'd just have to listen to it to understand it. It's an anthem for the young at heart.
This album has a couple of hiccups though...'Goodbyes' for instance can't decide whether it wants to be angry, sad, or positive. It just has a lot of inconsistencies. 'The Past' is all over the place instrumentally and vocally, and is a song I really wouldn't mind putting in the past. It just doesn't stick, and is the worst example of the band playing a tightly knit set, which is something the band does very well for most of the span of the album. Just not for this song.
Then there's the issue of the closing track, 'Blinded Bye'. This song starts off on an awkward, rushed intro/verse, but progresses into a half decent chorus. It's also a rather inconsistent song, verses I can't get into, but a chorus that has me bobbing my head. They could have at least put it earlier in the album. If they had switched this one and 'Not This Again', I don't think I'd complain about it so much. But that's really just me being nit-picky.
Now if you don't like pop-punk, this isn't likely to change your mind. But if you live in the 2010's and still enjoy it, give this record a spin. It's a lot of fun and catchy as heck. Mest have produced a sound generic and approachable enough to appeal to the masses, whilst remaining mature and exciting enough to keep those who take their music listening more seriously engaged.
Track Highlights: Good Die Young, One Life, Radio (Something to Believe), Almost, Not This Again
