Artist: Wester
Album: Flux
Genre: Pop Punk/Melodic Hardcore
Label: Meadowbrook Records

I’m a sucker for pop-punk and melodic-hardcore combo bands. Artists like Title Fight, Basement, Daylight are on the rise right now, and a lot of the time bands such as these put out really strong releases that can be overlooked by the punk community. The newest addition to this growing scene is Staten Island’s Wester, who recently released their five song EP Flux. Pro-tip: you’re going to want to get into this band now.

Flux starts off with haunting guitars that echo as we get ready for the upcoming assault of guitars and drums. The singer starts off a little shaky in my opinion, but the minute everything kicks in vocally he sounds fantastic. His intensity is bound to get kids off of their feet, crowd surfing their way to steal the microphone while sing about loss that is very apparent in the lyrics. I’m a huge fan of the punch and changes in tempo that Wester utilizes in this release because it really lends to the lyrical content of the record. Everyone gets angry and pissed about their current life, but sometimes the worst times are when we sit back and think in the quiet moments after our rage has subsided.  Wester provides both sides of this coin. Was this intentional? Maybe not. But regardless, I think it really adds to the band. For being so new of a group, Wester really creates an atmosphere that bands who have been touring for a while still haven’t been able to recreate. Does that say a lot about Wester, or about the somewhat stagnant music scene right now? A bit of both, but I’m going to lean heavier towards the solid musicianship of Wester.

People will make obvious comparisons to Title Fight and Basement here, and I don’t think that is unjust. That sound I feel is definitely underappreciated in the scene, so it’s great to see Wester add another solid release with Flux into this genre’s repertoire. The band is still really young, and to hear such a great EP release from the band already should get you really excited for what the future will hold for the group. They’re going on a US tour this Summer, and if you’re smart check them out and see how they translate live. My bet is they slay.

SCORE: 7.5/10
Listen To: Rust, February 13

Written By: Tyler Osborne

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Tyler Osborne

Live in DC, grew up in PA. I specialize in writing, filming and taking pictures about punk, pop-punk, and hardcore music, and I also have a huge background in film as well. When not on the site, i'm running my own internet radio show, ToZ's Edge Radio (www.facebook.com/tozedgeradio). I also love stage diving and goldfish.

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