‘Leave the scene, you’re ruining it!’ sings Machine Gun Kelly on the title-track to Mainstream Sellout. MGK – real name Colson Baker – knows you probably hate him. He also knows that, ever since he pivoted towards pop-punk with previous album Tickets To My Downfall, swathes of the rock community have seen him as a pariah. On Mainstream Sellout, he’s revelling in his status as rock’s bogeyman. But whereas Tickets To My Downfall was a more self-aware and upbeat pastiche of pop-punk’s golden era, this new album is a moodier, more angst-ridden affair. It’s less fun – something that’s mirrored in the experience of the listener. Travis Barker’s influence on proceedings is once again plain from the outset, as some classic blink-182 drumming characterises opening track Born Wit...
