The Milwaukee-based pop punk unit's sophomore studio long-player and first for new label Fat Wreck Chords, the aptly named
Wasted Mind
finds Direct Hit! tearing through a sugary set of vice-filled party anthems that blend punishing hardcore with huge pop melodies. Opening with a sample of Dr. Timothy Leary reading "A Message to Young People" from his 1966
America Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
LP, the 12-track set should appease fans of the group's 2013 debut,
Brainless God
, as well as any pop punk aficionados looking for something that's still relatively confectionary, but with a little extra bite. ~ James Christopher Monger