Always down on their luck, always mending a broken heart;
Weston have been labeled the punk-rock version of
New Kids on the Block. Continuing with this mentality is their third full-length Music From the Soundtrack Matinee, which features a lot of the same happy-go-lucky riffs of their two previous albums. Lots of straightforward, midtempo pop-punk, lots of harmonized backing vocals, but not overdone to the extent of
NOFX or
Bad Religion. With that combination,
Weston pull off some perfect pop songs that make up for the entire first side of this record. But unfortunately, at the same time, a lot of this material is borderline bad alternative rock.
Matinee has its moments, with the good outweighing the bad, but it's not as essential as Got Beat Up or
A Real Life Story of Teenage Rebellion. ~ Mike DaRonco