mi6 - "Self-titled"
Independent release

A promising debut EP from this Lawrence band. It's a little poppy, little punk... I'll be damned - they're pop-punk. Mi6 sounds very similar to alt. radio darlings Blink-182. They're very tight and enjoyable in that same sing-along sort of way. All of the songs on this CD are fun and catchy, but they fail in that they're all a bit similar. All the songs have a verse-chorus-verse structure to them with three-chord guitar work and pounding drums. The simplicity is what makes the songs catchy, but the CD just doesn't really stand up to repeated listenings.

The songs could also stand a bit of tightening. The best track is "Cockroach," the last song on the disc. "Cockroach" succeeds because it takes all the best elements of the other four and condenses them into one minute-long song that's really fun. However, the singing is rather good (if nothing spectacular), and the instruments really pull the songs together, with some rather ear-grabbing hooks. It's a fun album, but don't go looking for anything ground-breaking.

Mi6's debut is worth picking up if you have the money to spare, but don't go out of your way to find this one. At the same time, I do think it is also a promising start for good things to come.