After the band's major-label debut was greeted with a lukewarm reception,
Mest's sophomore disc shows the band treading into somewhat unfamiliar territory for the Chicago foursome. Most strikingly,
Mest peppers their punky power pop with
Sugar Ray-like pseudo-hip-hop, even employing
Young MC to add production to the most guilty tracks: the riff-tastic lead single, "Cadillac," the
Sublime-ska sample-and-electronic-percussion-led "Reasons," and "Mother's Prayer," a mellow tear-jerker, all of which makes Marvin Young this outfit's
DJ Homicide. A few tracks hit upon the right three chords, such as the cheeky "Fuct up Kid," but the lyrics are overwhelmingly pedestrian, and in a crowded field,
Destination Unknown's destination might just be the cutout bin. ~ Brian O'Neill