Boston Manor

Be Nothing (2016)

Maximillian Power

I was not in much of a rush to start listening to Boston Manor when they were recommended to me. Pure Noise Records don't generally put out bands that many of us older folks find engaging. When I finally got around to listening to Boston Manor's Be Nothing, I was glad I did.

Boston Manor fits most of the criteria for your typical Pure Noise release, overly produced vocals, with some questionable lyrics thrown in here and there. What sets Boston Manor apart from their teeny bop, Warped Tour peers, is that they consistently keep things fast, dark, and interesting. The songs aren't based around big cheesy choruses, but instead focus on well-written harmonies that come off as more mature than the diabetes inducing pop some have grown accustomed to in the genre. The vibe on Be Nothing has something sad impacting it. It isn't quite as emo/rock as bands like Balance and Composure or Turnover, but there is something there that reminds me of them.

The music is well written, and the album flows nicely all the way through. Some of the songs are a little bit on the long side, but I didn't find myself bored on follow up listens. The song "Cu" is a stand out, with a well-placed hook that draws the listener in almost immediately.

I was impressed with Be Nothing. There seems to be a departure happening in pop punk that I have noticed recently, moving away from the silly stadium chorus style of the past. The music here is darker than one might expect, but still catchy and poppy. This band reminds me a bit of Trophy Eyes in the sense that they have a shiny pop-punk sensibility, but manage to pull off a variety of influences that may draw in listeners from further away than just the Pure Noise stage at Warped Tour (does such a stage exist? you know what I mean). As of late, it seems like bands from across the pond are setting the bar high for contemporary pop punk.