Save Your Breath

Save Your Breath's California-soaked brand of pop punk might catch you off guard, given that the band actually reside in Newport, South Wales. Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy is a deliberate blend of New Found Glory's brand of unabashed popcore and Save The Day's earnest emotional rock, but it leaves little to no trace of the band's geographical origins. As a result, the songs don't have the honesty, originality and instant appeal that make classic pop punk records so re-listenable. Still, the band have an undeniable momentum courtesy of a North American release by Adeline (Broadway Calls, Living with Lions). "Rhys-O and the Legend of Big Phone" is a highlight, finishing up the EP with a half-time group vocal chant, hammering home the overarching lyrical message: never give up. If Save Your Breath honour their lyrical promise to be unrelentingly optimistic, and if their next release boasts a fresher and honest sound, they could separate themselves from the sea of super-melodic pop punk acts burning up MySpace players right now.