EP Review: On A Roll

On A Roll is the perfect title for the latest EP from Waihi born Pop Punk band Not Exact; after releasing their debut album Demos in 2024 the band have been hard at work writing and performing across the country steadily building a following and developing their unique blend of classic pop punk, alternative metal and hardcore. Forming after Vocalist/bassist Keelan Simpson and vocalist/guitarist Calum Beatson met on a music course, Not Exact is a perfect example of why music school can be such an awesome opportunity, it’s not necessarily what you will learn there but the musicians you will meet and play with.

The EP starts off at full intensity with Say What You Will, the melodic distorted guitars and driving, intricate drum grooves are reminiscent of early alt metal bands like Deftones, but paired with the unmistakable pop punk vocals you’re left with the feeling of something that feels wholly familiar but yet completely distinct. Genre mashups can sometimes feel forced and gimmicky, but in the case of Not Exact it feels like a genuine mix of the artist’s influences blended together and filtered through their own unique style.

This mashup theme is then again amplified in the next song You Can’t Drive A Prius Without Wheels, it feels like the last 30 years of punk and metal were blended, filtered for chunks and then distilled in the brains of Gen Z. As someone who lived through those 30 years, listening to this song was like having a 3 minute flashback. They seamlessly jump between, hardcore, 90’s nerd rock, progressive psychedelic metal and pop punk all while holding down a cohesive feel and logical structure to the song so that in the end despite the obvious nods to the past, the song feels entirely their own and a banger in its own right.

The titular track On A Roll begins with a kind of alt metal/pop punk vibe while the reverb laden vocals immediately grab your attention, there is a sense of real frustration in the way they move between sharp delivery and melody and repeating the line “what’s the point in telling me everything?”

Effusive praise almost always comes across ungenuine, but I cannot express enough how impressed I was hearing the musicianship and song writing on this album. The riffs, grooves and vocal melodies feel like they were developed under a microscope, there is so much intricacy both in tone and rhythm, which requires such precision and synchronicity between players. What Not Exact have produced here is a phenomenal accomplishment for a band that is barely even a year old. Everything about this album feels like Not Exact is striving for excellence and to make a name for themselves, and in my opinion that is exactly what they have done.

…now come play in Wellington