If you kind of mix Something Corporate with a more upbeat Copeland, then throw in some of Fearless’ latest signings in Every Avenue, you’d not be too far off the sound The Maine debut on their first record for the label. This EP acts as a preview of what we can expect in 2008 and it’s a pretty nice, inoffensive five tracker which ticks all the right boxes when it comes to mainstream pop-punk. There’s little difference to the slick pop rock of The Plain White Ts to this lot, so I’m guessing we’ll be hearing a lot of them next year.
The five tracks here don’t deviate too far from the same formula. The vocals are very crisp and solid, probably auto-tuned to the max, but they suit the band’s style well. ‘The Town‘s Been Talkin” probably showcases the band’s melodic sound best; jangling guitars around a very sweet, melodic chorus which is sugary enough to rot your teeth. Whether the band are catchy enough for prime time MTV exposure is still open to question, but within the genre The Maine aren’t all that bad at all.