MXPX have a new album out! I was somewhat surprised when I received the offer to listen to the new album. I thought they were no longer around. Had they stopped due to age or become too comfortable?
Far from it!
The band has always been active; I just haven't heard anything from them in recent years.
The last time I dealt with the band was during the heyday of skate punk. Those were the times when NoFX filled large venues (which they still do) and all records from Fat Wreck Chords could be bought without hesitation, as you knew you would get melodic feel-good punk rock.
Times change, and eventually, the skate punk wave ebbed, with only a few bands playing this style commercially successfully.
Upon first listening to the album, I suddenly felt 20 years younger. This is the sound that was cool 15-20 years ago. This is exactly the sound!
In fact, it is precisely the sound. It feels as if MXPX have built an impenetrable capsule around themselves and managed to preserve this sound in its purest form.
The crazy thing is that the record is not boring in the slightest; it entertains just as well as it did back when I was young and pretty. Hardly any song breaks the three-minute punk rock time limit. Just like before.
However, time has not passed the band without leaving a mark. While the sound is still the same, the lyrics reflect life experience. They inspire and always bring good cheer. This doesn't mean that one doesn't see the crap in life, but with a smile on your face, some things are simply easier to bear. Songs like “Stay on your feet” or the catchy “Cast down my Heart” give courage, strength, and make you smile again. These songs uplift.
With “Plans within Plans,” MXPX has released a fluffy, catchy skate punk album of the old school that will remind older listeners of their youth and will also appeal to the younger generation.
It's great that such things still exist.
