Band:  MXPX

Title: Before Everything & After

Label: A&M

www.mxpx.com

Reviewer:  Lee

I'm not sure how many people really like this band.  Are they an acquired taste?  Well they certainly look punk.  MXPX continues to consistently release their own vein of pop punk.  There are no surprises on this release except for some slick production here and there.  That might be a turnoff for some fans.  As a punk band on a major label, where do you go with your sound?  Crisper sounding guitars, layers of nice pretty clean guitar parts over the usual buzzsaw guitar.  The big hit is "Everything Sucks", and "Don't Walk Away" sounds like a tribute to U2's "New Years Day".  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  All in all, this is just more of the same.  If you are already a fan, you will like this.  If you are not a fan and want to try out a more accessible punk band, then you will probably like this.