Far From It – MTVKID

MTVKID is a band out of Helsinki in Finland, and Far From It is their new EP, following up on last year’s self-titled debut.

MTVKID plays what I, to make it easy, would describe as pop-punk. The band themselves say they draw inspiration from Pixies, Nirvana, Blink 182 and The Strokes. Which is pretty much correct in my ears, throw in some New Found Glory as well.

And it’s really easy to listen to. Vocalist Sebastians voice fits the genre perfectly, and the harmonies are backing it up nicely. If you’re nervous about hearing Finnish-English accents in the vein of that rally driver who became a meme, don’t be because I can’t hear much of a Finnish accent here. MTVKID migh not deliver the most unique sound in the business, but the band knows their craft, and the sound is full and well-produced. It’s also nice to hear some variations in tempo and style, where the track CA$H takes it down a notch, musically being a little bit darker. Don’t Let Go deliver a couple of minutes of acoustic guitar before breaking into a full electric pop/rock. It’s also nice to hear Elsa deliver some vocals on that one.

Lyrically this is pop-punk by grown-ups, tackling themes such as self-disappointment, loneliness, frustration, desire and the struggle to keep moving when everything feels bleak. The combination of the band’s poppy sound and the lyrics become pretty powerful, especially in the first two tracks which are the most pop-punk on the album. It’s all really well written, relatable and doesn’t feel cheesy or immature anywhere.

It’s nice to hear some pop-punk written by adults, for adults, as MTVKID has done on Far From It. I have a nice time listening to the EP, and it’s definitely worth checking out.