Bitter Days is the new record from Nothing Serious – a trio that lays claim to Basement, Ontario (a nebulous space known to be somewhere around the Durham region) as their home. It’s a continuation of the fast-paced, melody-driven precedent established through the smattering of digital material they’ve released over the past five years or so.

Nothing Serious is a band acutely aware of their strengths – vocalist John Ward’s talent for crafting strong melodies is placed front and centre. sticking with the sound and style that made pop-punk the force that it was in the late-90’s and early-2000’s. Tracks like “Dying On The Inside” and “Daxter” pack huge choruses while mid-tempo fare like “Cross Your T’s And Dot Your Lower Case J’s” and “Therapy” keep things interesting.

Nothing Serious’s catalogue has always had a particularly slick production style. With Bitter Days a bit of the sheen has been left behind (though make no mistake, this is still a polished product) and the end-result benefits from the choice. Melodic pop-punk enthusiasts should jump to acquire this record.

Bitter Days is available on vinyl and CD through Steady Riot Records.