Mest
Wasting Time
(Maverick)
Grade: D
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it typically makes for really bad music. Unfortunately, such cloning is a fact of life in the modern music industry as record labels, desperate for hits, churn out dozens of carbon copies of every band with a hit.
Punk rock has already seen more than its share of clone-rockers, but Wasting Time, the appropriately-titled debut CD from Maverick Records' Mest, takes imitation to a new low. An obvious attempt to cash in on Blink-182's success, Mest apes Blink's cute-boys-with-guitars image down to the last detail. The liner art for Wasting Time is so chock-full of Blink-inspired spiky hair, attitude and cutesy underwear shots that one wonders why Mest did not call themselves Blink-183.
Mest's music is no less derivative. Do the opening chords of "Drawing Board" sound familiar? They should - they are ripped almost note-for-note from Blink-182's "Adam's Song." Does it seem like you've heard "Lonely Days" before? You have - in the form of half the songs on Green Day's Dookie.
The lyrics in no way make up for the musical thievery - singer Tony Lovato relies on the blandest sentiments, the tritest emotions and the most tired clichˇs. There is even a song called "What's the Dillio."
There is one brief moment of insight on Wasting Time, however. On "Drawing Board," Lovato sings "Back to the drawing board/with the songs you've heard a million times before."
He must have no idea how apt those lyrics are. If only the members of Mest would follow their own advice.
- Phil Leckman
