THE MENZINGERS are difficult to dislike. Believe me, I tried. Upon first listening to Chamberlain Waits, I was underwhelmed by the band’s attempt to mix modern pop melodies, with scrappy punk roots.

But after a few listens, I came around. If you haven’t heard them already, THE MENZINGERS take the gruffness of HOT WATER MUSIC and THE LAWRENCE ARMS, and up the accessibility factor with infectious pop melodies and multi-track harmonies. The band works best with hard-edged pop-punk songs like “I Was Born,” which is rich in melody and cryptic religious imagery. Many pop-punk bands with catchy tunes lack heart and intelligence, two things THE MENZINGERS definitely possess in spades.

But viewing pop songwriting through a punk-rock lens has its drawbacks. Bands like LEATHERFACE write punk songs that just happen to be catchy, reducing the cheese factor big time. THE MENZINGERS, on the other hand, dare to get real close to the pop side of things, a choice that will leave many punk rockers reaching for the skip button. “Home Outgrown” starts of with the polish of a FALL OUT BOY song, and climaxes into a screaming breakdown, a transition that just sounds forced when coupled with the song’s gooey beginnings.

On Chamberlin Waits, THE MENZINGERS attempt the thing that made and broke many great punk-rock bands, from LIFETIME to RISE AGAINST. Pop and punk are difficult to blend, but mistakes aside, Chamberlin Waits is a good spin that will leave you with more than just a song in your head. If you’re a fan of some syrup in your punk, or if you think many pop-punk bands are short of substance, than check out THE MENZINGERS. If you think bands like ANTI-FLAG need to rev it up a notch, then take your musical search elsewhere.