Save Your Breath

Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy [reissue] (2010)

Brian Shultz

UK's Save Your Breath offers a far poppier brand of pop-punk than their Adeline predecessors in Living with Lions and Broadway Calls, but it doesn't necessarily mean they should automatically be passed up on altogether. But unlike their respective labelmate and alum, you shouldn't rush to check them out either.

The digital-only Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy EP reissue features eight inherently exuberant pop-punk songs with (very) light skatepunk and melodic hardcore influences. Without that, the iota of aggression that pushes these songs along would be lost and probably allow the tracks to fall victim to tepid tempos and bland arrangements. Granted, the songwriting still isn't perfect--far from it, really--but it's pretty together. The production is certainly a little maxed out, seemingly pushing everything to the forefront and thinning out the potential dynamic.

The songs themselves have their moments. "Not in the Mood for Kiwi" injects pleasingly complex riff changes amid the yelped vocals, while there's slightly grittier emotions that make "I Am the Ticket!?" a sure standout. "You've Got Lizard Blood" picks up the pace with a dynamic double-time tempo and soaring major-key guitar lines. Most other times rely a bit needlessly on poppy "breakdown" riffs and softcore-oriented thuds.

While this EP largely borders on unintentionally cheeky, All Time Low-style territory (bonus track "Your Oven's on Fire" gets a little knobby and saccharine in that sense for sure), it manages to avoid that scene's major trapfalls and stay the course…for the most part. Hell, the first :35 and assorted guitar melodies of "Rhys-O and the Legend of Big Phone" sounds like the band might have been spying on a recent Polar Bear Club writing session, while its close comes with a big, catchy buildup.

If Save Your Breath wants to be the new face of brightly melodic, buoyant pop-punk, they certainly could be; let's just hope they choose to go the non-douchey way about it.

Also, c'mon.