Juno are a Leeds-based trio who excel in producing hard-hitting punk with a pop edge. Think Green Day at a point between ‘Warning’ and ‘American Idiot’, with a little bit of ‘Appeal To Reason’ Rise Against thrown in for good measure – a bit of rough-edged punk appeal but a lot of poptastic melody too. That’s Juno summed up, particularly on new track ‘States Of Mind’.

‘States Of Mind’ opens with a flurry of guitars and driving drums, a typical 90’s punk affair that storms into your head and sticks there for a little while. Alongside vocals that are both crystal clear and abrasive, the crunchy guitars lead the way through a no-holds-barred thrashfest of verses and numerous break-type sections. It’s an enjoyably energetic journey – one that feels very formulaic of the genre but is done with the kind of conviction and dedication that it’s hard not to admire.

The only negative is that some of the changes between verse and chorus feel a little awkward, the first one (at 0:39, if anyone is curious) being the most uncomfortable. The rest seem to somewhat gel together, but the first transition has the feel of one that even the band were uncertain would work. It’s only a slight thing, but something that temporarily disrupts the flow of the song.

That said, it’s a good track and somewhere there is a big sweaty room of people rocking out to it. Listen to the track (and more) here and who knows, you could be one of those people.

7/10