I’m a sucker for scrappy pop punk. You know, dirt pop that lives right in the sweet spot between garage punk rock, indie punk and old school pop punk. Finnish fivesome Nuoruus hit that zone perfectly on their sophomore album Katatoninen Nuoruus. It’s the kind of record genre lifers will go wild for, and one with sufficient pull to tempt others to step outside their usual niche.

Sung entirely in their native language, the record packs about 25 minutes of ragged charm. It’s catchy in all the right ways, energetic without overdoing it, and strikes a great balance between cohesion and variety. The songs fit a familiar mold, but never feel like leftovers from your favorite bands of yesteryear (or more recent favs like Martha and Heavy Lag to name a few). There’s a freshness here that keeps things moving, and Nuoruus hold your attention from the first track to the last.

Katatoninen Nuoruus is out now on Bandcamp, with a tape release coming via Helsinki label Dracula Mountain Records.

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