I picked this album up from Tom Beck’s distro, as I have with everything he’s released, not having even heard of Nothing Unexpected before. A young pop-punk/post-hardcore band from Pittsburgh, NU mix up the catchier elements of a Senses Fail, throw the screaming away and add the driving melodies of an Asteria, or similar band. And while they’re nothing new they’re actually very, very good at what they do. ‘Astoria‘ alone is one of those songs that begs to be played over and over again and will have you singing along in no time at all.
This is the band’s first full length album and is self-released. It’s a mix of driving guitars, poppy choruses and handclaps, and while there are some cheesy moments (‘Lights Out‘ is as generic as they come), it’s a record that wears its heart on its’ sleeve and combines some stonking guitar riffs with some really catchy melodies. Nothing Unexpected is a very apt name because this record doesn’t contain any surprises at all, but if you like your pop-punk to be slightly edgy and full of potential hit singles, this is a band you must check out.