There I was, ready to move on from my melodic punk phase, 22 years old, my apathy spurred by a deluge of cringe-worthy NOFX plagiarists and frankly laughable ska-punk revivalists; themselves tripping off bland, second-rate wannabes looking to snatch a bite of the bandwagon bumper, as it speeds rapidly out of sight. To me, the heyday of English melodic punk had been and gone, with a mere handful of acts like The Killerest Expression and Hi Tech Jet really beholdant of the gusto and charisma needed to keep the UK pop-punk flame alive.

That is, until I was swiftly slapped round the face by this self-released full length from Kent’s 3dBs Down. To say this rivals our US counterparts is a huge understatement. It’s an album bursting with natural melodic punk songwriting, brimming with powerfully anthemic, riff-heavy tunes fuelled with the jittery urgency of The Dickies and enhanced by the radiant, perfectly-placed harmonies of The Wildhearts and Less Than Jake.

They may or may not be still at school but these songs are crafted with the proficiency of old Epitaph veterans. When they mix bouncy ska-lite bass arpeggios in ‘Magnificent Mediocre’, they do so with the seasoned elegance of The Chinkees, nudging in edgy, heavy-riffing chord schemes that pack a considerable punch.

A thoroughly enjoyable listen, ‘Bottom Of The Learning Curve’ is a shining example of good, anthemic pop-punk.