ALBUM REVIEW: The Greatest Generation - The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation
Release Date: May 14th, 2013
Record Label: Hopeless Records
Reviewer: Devin Beaudoin

The Wonder Years are one of those bands that have gotten so much better with every record they’ve put out, every tour they’ve done, every country they’ve traveled to. We’ve watched them grow up, from writing joke songs about Cap’n Crunch and ninjas, to fighting depression. They’re easily one of the most relatable bands out there right now, with a song for every tough situation you could even imagine, and The Greatest Generation is no exception. This record is The Wonder Years’ finest work to date. They’ve pushed the envelope of pop punk again, just when you thought they couldn’t do it any more.

The record clocks in at just under 50 minutes, which is very lengthy for a pop punk record, but this album doesn’t have any filler tracks. ‘There, There,’ the first track on the record starts slow, but builds up to the emotional second half of the song where you can basically feel vocalist Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell’s energy as if you were front-row-center at a TWY show. The rest of the album does not fail in comparison to this first track.

Guitarists Matt Brasch, Nick Steinborn, and Casey Cavaliere have challenged themselves musically with the riffs they wrote for this record. The way the three guitars are perfectly layered and compliment each other fluently throughout the record is flawless, especially on ‘Teenage Parents’ and ‘Chaser.’ Bassist Josh Martin and drummer Mike Kennedy hold down the fort with blood pumping bass and drums (check out ‘We Could Die Like This.’) I’ve been a Wonder Years fan since 2008, and seeing the six of these guys really hone their craft and this genre is incredible.

The band keeps you guessing with this record. ‘Dismantling Summer’ reminds me a lot of 90s rock, ‘The Devil In My Bloodstream’ is almost ballad-esque, (as ballady as you can get with a pop punk record) with guest vocals coming from Laura Stevenson. ‘An American Religion [FSF]’ is almost an alt-rock track with edgy, distorted guitars, and angry, gritty vocals from Soupy. ‘Madelyn’ is a little acoustic diddy reminiscent of 2010’s ‘Hey Thanks’ (off of The Upsides). The record finishes out with a 7 1/2 minute medley which features throwback lyrics to songs from Generation, (I was kinda hoping you’d stay / I need you to stay / Two blackbirds on a highway sign), which brings us back to 2010’s war cry of ‘I’m not sad anymore.’

The Wonder Years aren’t one of those bands to change their sound drastically and say that they “matured.” They’re that band that knows what they’re good at, but instead of making the same record over and over, they grow and change that genre. I have no doubts in my mind that the genre of pop punk today would not be the same without the addition of The Wonder Years. The Wonder Years are, have been, and always will be a force to be reckoned with. The Greatest Generation is, as of now, my favourite album of 2013, and has probably eased its way into one of my favourite albums of all time.

10/10

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ALBUM REVIEW: Young New England - Transit

Transit - Young New England
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013
Label: Rise Records
Reviewer: Michael Crawford

Transit has a habit of re-inventing themselves. They’re a Boston five-piece that have steadily progressed from their pop punk roots (This Will Not Define Us), into a stellar indie/punk sound (Listen and Forgive) that is hard to slight. Followers of the band will surely compare Young New England to their last release, but ultimately this album should prove more accessible to everybody else. Joe Boynton shows he isn’t afraid to try new things as a vocalist, and the music itself does offer more of a variety than L&F. Unfortunately, this album isn’t so much of a progression as it is (dare I say) a step backwards. Poor production, questionable lyrics and a general “dumbing-down” will most likely piss off a lot of fans.


The first song and initial single, Nothing Lasts Forever, is a toe-tapper that serves well as an introduction. Though not as lyrically astute as we’ve come to expect of these guys, the depressing message contrasts well with the brighter tones the instruments bring. Fans of Misser, a side project of Transit’s own Tim Landers, will quickly feel at home with this album. Second to Right is a call for erasing the past, and while not breathtaking, has its moments. Young New England bares an exuberant chorus that will no doubt polarize fans. The simplistic, ordinary lyrics here just don’t hold a candle to what we heard on L&F. But whether or not you appreciate the alcoholic references, the sense of eternal youth and comradery is relatable for all. The title track reminds us no matter how lost we may end up, there’s always someone out there willing to lend a shoulder.


Transit has always managed to connect with their fans through honest lyrics, and Sleep is no exception. The fourth track is an ode to self-realization and trying to understand why we do the things we do. So Long, So Long keeps things flowing, but unfortunately isn’t that memorable. There’s nothing inherently bad about it, it just doesn’t stick out like some of the other songs after a first listen. Weathered Souls has a striking chorus that turns enormous by the 2:40 mark. Opening lines Do these streets remember your face? Well these bricks still carry the weight paint vivid scenes, and most likely this one will end up as a favorite of current Transit fans. Hang It Up is slower and relaxing, and lyrics such as Pain is temporary, you will love and you will live teach us patience and having the ability to slow down and appreciate what’s around you.


Don’t Go, Don’t Stray may be a sad anthem, but the well placed bro chants give it a unique twist you won’t see much of on YNE. Transit’s brand of sad is definitely their own, but they’ve sprinkled in bits optimism this time around. Sadly, Thanks for Nothing and Summer, ME are plainly forgetful, and you understand why after noticing the surprising amount of mediocrity in the lyrics. It’s also around this section of the album where the instrumentation begins to blend, and not in a good way. Disappointing to see, especially in comparison to the first half of the album. Hazy comes off downright corny, and it’s difficult to justify its presence on YNE. Bright Lights, Dark Shadows is all right, but by this point one can’t help but wonder how this could be the same band that released one of the best albums of 2011. Thankfully, Lake Q at least ends things on a positive note. The final track sounds more like the Transit we love, and not the scattered, uninspired mess of songs that precedes it.


So just what happened to Transit? Perhaps they should have held onto the reins a little longer and trimmed the fat. Is Young New England a bad album? No, but it is a disappointing one and if you’re not already a fan of Transit then YNE won’t change that. They’ve carved themselves a nice niche into the scene, and the faults listed have nothing to do with the fact that they aren’t a “true” pop-punk band anymore. There is some praiseworthy material here, but also missteps that can’t be unheard. Maybe the band just needs to ease off and let their side projects run their course before moving on to another album. Regardless, Transit has merely stumbled where many bands have fallen off completely. Be sure to look out for their Spring headliner tour the next couple of months and pick up Young New England available tomorrow, April 2nd.


Vocals: C+

Lyrics: B-

Musicianship: B
Reviewer Score: B

ALBUM REVIEW: What You Don’t See - The Story So Far

The Story So Far - What You Don’t See
Release Date: March 26th, 2013
Label: Pure Noise Records
Reviewer: Audrey Henry

Going into listening to a new album from any band I like is always mildly nerve-wracking. While I try to go into everything with an open mind, there’s always this level of apprehension that the new work won’t be as good as the last, or that it’ll outright suck. Luckily for me, this was not the case with What You Don’t See from The Story So Far.

Going into listening to What You Don’t See I was immediately hit by certain distinctions between this album and the last. While it took a while for Under Soil and Dirt to grow on me, this album sucked me in almost immediately. There’s no denying the bands ability to write catchy tunes that stick in your head and leave you walking around humming the songs to yourself throughout the day.

The Story So far have mastered the art of conveying emotion while at the same time keeping the record at a high energy pace that leaves you in an upbeat mood and waiting for the next track. Band maturity and growth are evident in this record, but not in a way that makes you feel as though you’re listening to a completely different band. They’ve managed to grow and perfect their craft without changing the catchy pop-punk style that they’re known for.

When it comes to playing favorites, “Stifled” and “Bad Luck” came in as my top two tracks. I really appreciate the simplicity of the songs, as well as the outrageously catchy vocals. It won’t be hard for pop-punk lovers to find at least one track from What You Don’t See to fall completely in love with.

Listening to the record was a pleasurable music surprise. I went in expecting to hear a record that was okay, but would need more listens in order to truly stick with me, and was met with something that completely blew my mind. The Story So Far haven proven that they can write solid, catchy tunes that will leave listeners wanting and expecting more. As long as they deliver, I’m more than positive they’ll have no trouble sticking around in the music scene.

Reviewer score: 4.3/5

ALBUM REVIEW: Half Hearted Hero - Whatever

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Release Info:

Half Hearted Hero - Whatever
Release Date: January 15th, 2013
Review by: Michael Crawford

Half Hearted Hero are just one of those bands that managed to elude me last year amongst so many great releases. That was up until a few days ago. Don’t let the generic name fool you; released January 15th, Whatever is just as good as it is hard to categorize. The band has matured in both their songwriting and musicianship, so if you’re like me and shrugged off their Running Water EP, you’ll be introduced to a very focused, refined sound. Try thinking of a punkier version of Balance and Composure (with dashes of melodic punk and hardcore), that affirms the genre can be more about catchy hooks and simple breakdowns.

Ten seconds into Untitled, the band reels you in with thick guitar licks and slow, banging drums. The heavy-hitting intro transitions smoothly into the first verse, where singer Anthony Savino laments Turnin’ into something I swore I never would. If I burned it into nothing, at least I could feel good. Gang vocals round out the song and by the end of it HHH establishes a bleak, yet unique presence. River is a faster pop punk number that showcases how the band plays best; fast. Vessel is, to me, one of their more B&C-sounding songs, which I mean in the most positive of ways. Again Savino impresses, with acute observations like The stars are brighter when you die; until then they haunt you every night. Faint Feeling’s an acoustic short that serves as an interlude, but the vocals are a tad too faint to really sink in.

Framework and Good Terms are both fast and enthralling, especially the latter with fantastic lyrics, vocals and melodies. Direction starts with another taste of acoustic guitar, but wastes no time bringing the rest of the band back in. It’s hard hitting, and the good pacing allows them to vary things up nicely. Finally, Whatever is a pop punk behemoth that has a good shot being one of HHH’s anthems. The breakdown at around the 2:30 mark is particularly satisfying. An equal balance of punk and pop punk appeal, the band gives us a knockout punch of a final song.

Whatever is a very good album, and at times great. Half Hearted Hero is going to be a name to look out for in 2013, namely for their excellent musicianship and insightful lyrics. And they aren’t afraid to venture from the pop punk norms. Dreary, aggressive and relatable all at the same, the only flaw this album has is it’s not for everybody. If HHH can merge the grittiness of Whatever and the catchiness of their Running Water EP, then their best material may still be ahead of them.
 
Vocals: B
Lyrics: B+
Musicianship: A-
Reviewer score: B+

ALBUM REVIEW: “Seams & Stitches” - With The Punches

In just two short days (7/3), Newburgh, NY’s resident pop-punkers With The Punches will release their first full length, also their first label debut record, Seams & Stitches. If you’ve been following WTP since their debut EP, Keep It Going, you’ll know that this band has been something to watch out for since the get go. After touring Japan, and the US multiple times, member changes, shitty booking agents, and everything else, the band has grown in sound, musicianship, and as people.

Seams & Stitches opens with “Riverside”, a fast and fun song that sets the stage for the record. It’s happy melodies remind me of the opening scene of a movie. Although the lyrics are full of angst and disdain for the city they’re from, the music is the complete opposite. It’s clear on this first track that With The Punches have grown as musicians, but haven’t lost themselves on the way. 

“Bad Pennies”, the second track on the album, is probably the only song I have my reservations about. It’s not that the band wrote a bad song, I’m just not a fan of the way this particular track was recorded. The snare drum seems to have been turned up a little too high, and the dual vocals at the end of the song seem off. One of the sets of vocals should have been turned down, and used more as a background vocal. Other than that, this song, and entire record, is so solid.

Track after track, With The Punches is just knocking them completely out of the park. My recommended tracks being “I Told You Already”, “Cags”, and “Seams & Stitches”. Although I don’t think you’ll be hitting the next button for any of these, I feel that these three songs will be repeated on my iPhone time and time again. I already can’t get enough of these songs and the record isn’t even out yet, and the summer is young.

The record ends with the title track “Seams & Stitches”, which as I said before, is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It has as much energy as the album started with, and leaves you wanting to listen to the album again and again. The last few seconds of the song are just a solo bass drum, kicking in a rhythmic time, much like a heartbeat. This sound really hits home and reminds me of how much heart With The Punches has for their band, their fans, and this scene in general.

Being a WTP fan since 2009, when I was 17 and just graduating high school, I feel like I’ve grown with this band, and the band has grown with me. Listening to each release from the band just makes me love them more, and realize how talented these dudes really are. I know there are a ton of you that feel the same way as I do about With The Punches. Seams & Stitches will be one of the leading contenders of this year’s new releases, and is one of the most solid records I’ve heard this year. If you don’t pick it up on Tuesday, July 3rd, I’m going to be really disappointed in you.

4.5/5

Order Seams & Stitches here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Even On The Worst Nights - Mixtapes Mixtapes are releasing their No Sleep Records debut, Even On The Worst Nights, on June 26th, and I can tell you already that this is going to be one of the best albums of the summer. The album screams late nights and long drives in the summer heat, and drinking beers (or root beers) with your best friends.  If you haven’t listened to Mixtapes yet, you’re missing out on something great. The band has put out 6 releases in just two years, and they show no sign of slowing down or stopping anytime soon. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, the midwest punk rock quartet is one of the hardest working, most driven bands that I’ve seen in the genre today.  From Maura and Ryan’s harmonies, to the catchy one-liners such as “Anything/It could be better than this” (Hey Ma Pt. 2), and “I think that even on the worst nights/It tends to be alright” (Even On The Worst Nights), Even is showcasing the bands more mature approach to writing. This new approach, I feel, will give more audiences a chance to relate to the band and they’ll reach a much wider crowd. Although you won’t find Mixtapes jumping on bandwagon trends like gang vocals or too many woah-oh’s, they did have a couple guest appearances on the album, such as Dan “Soupy” Campbell of The Wonder Years on the last track of the album, “Mt. Hope”, and Grath of The Steinways/House Boat on “Anyways”. For Even to be Mixtapes first official full-length, it’s pretty fucking long. 16 tracks is almost unheard of nowadays, but the band keeps the listener intrigued by having some of those 16 tracks only be less than a minute long, in true punk rock style. I, myself, find it hard to listen to a 16 track album through and through, so I did have to switch it up for a day or two while I was writing this review before coming back to the album to finish the record. But hey, I have music ADD.  All in all, this record is excellent, and has definitely gotten me more into Mixtapes, and I think that it will do the same for you too. Good job, No Sleep Records, you picked another incredible band out of the crowd and are giving them the opportunity that they deserve. 8/10 PRE-ORDER EVEN ON THE WORST NIGHTS HERE Also, if you click on the above link, you can stream two BRAND NEW songs, “Hey Ma Pt 2” and “Even On The Worst Nights”! Stream another new song “I’m Wearing The Device (Bridge, Water) here!
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ALBUM REVIEW: Even On The Worst Nights - Mixtapes

Mixtapes are releasing their No Sleep Records debut, Even On The Worst Nights, on June 26th, and I can tell you already that this is going to be one of the best albums of the summer. The album screams late nights and long drives in the summer heat, and drinking beers (or root beers) with your best friends. 

If you haven’t listened to Mixtapes yet, you’re missing out on something great. The band has put out 6 releases in just two years, and they show no sign of slowing down or stopping anytime soon. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, the midwest punk rock quartet is one of the hardest working, most driven bands that I’ve seen in the genre today. 

From Maura and Ryan’s harmonies, to the catchy one-liners such as “Anything/It could be better than this” (Hey Ma Pt. 2), and “I think that even on the worst nights/It tends to be alright” (Even On The Worst Nights), Even is showcasing the bands more mature approach to writing. This new approach, I feel, will give more audiences a chance to relate to the band and they’ll reach a much wider crowd. Although you won’t find Mixtapes jumping on bandwagon trends like gang vocals or too many woah-oh’s, they did have a couple guest appearances on the album, such as Dan “Soupy” Campbell of The Wonder Years on the last track of the album, “Mt. Hope”, and Grath of The Steinways/House Boat on “Anyways”.

For Even to be Mixtapes first official full-length, it’s pretty fucking long. 16 tracks is almost unheard of nowadays, but the band keeps the listener intrigued by having some of those 16 tracks only be less than a minute long, in true punk rock style. I, myself, find it hard to listen to a 16 track album through and through, so I did have to switch it up for a day or two while I was writing this review before coming back to the album to finish the record. But hey, I have music ADD. 

All in all, this record is excellent, and has definitely gotten me more into Mixtapes, and I think that it will do the same for you too. Good job, No Sleep Records, you picked another incredible band out of the crowd and are giving them the opportunity that they deserve.

8/10

PRE-ORDER EVEN ON THE WORST NIGHTS HERE

Also, if you click on the above link, you can stream two BRAND NEW songs, “Hey Ma Pt 2” and “Even On The Worst Nights”!

Stream another new song “I’m Wearing The Device (Bridge, Water) here!

A FUCK YEAH POP-PUNK REVIEW: Boys No Good - Never Felt Better Jacksonville, FL’s Boys No Good are certainly a force in pop-punk and hardcore to be reckoned with. With members of hardcore fathers Casey Jones and Evergreen Terrace, you begin to see how hardcore can kindly influence pop-punk, kind of like a little brother. Boys No Good’s debut Indianola Records release, Never Felt Better, is a perfect follow up to 2010’s Fat Gurls EP.  Never Felt Better shows a little bit more maturity, but enough to lose that playful hardcore/pop-punk connection that we oh-so love.  The album starts off with a 34 second instrumental intro that opens up the first track “Bold City Tigers”, like it should be one song together. The song immediately starts with soaring clean vocals, but quickly gets down to the raw, gritty vocals that Boys No Good is known for. The chorus is bound to get instantly stuck in your head, also while paying homage to “The sunshine state”, where the band hails from. Boys No Good also carefully places a breakdown into the song, but manages to keep it rather classy, than cheesy.  As soon as “Bold City Tigers” ends, we’re quickly welcomed with the very hardcore influenced track “Buried At Sea”. This 1:36 track is packed full of hardcore, but Boys No Good manages to slip a little pop-punk in at the end in a bridge that will be sure to help you get your two-step on.  “So Far Gone”, the fourth track on the album, is a bit more of a forgettable track, as I found myself not paying as much attention to it as I had on the previous tracks. Although this track may not be as memorable as the others, the album picks right back up with “Jeremy Drinks Bleach”. It seems as though Boys No Good have a knack of writing choruses that are going to be stuck in your head for weeks on end, as they’ve done so with “Bleach”. In the bridge of the song, I’m surprised by the new technique thrown in, with duelling vocals similar to that of Four Year Strong or Set Your Goals, and this makes a pop-punk enthusiast like myself, extremely ecstatic. The bridge fits together like a perfect pop-punk/melodic hardcore harmony, before cutting back into the chorus and a chunky riff to end the song. Something I’ve come to really admire about this album, is the transitions from one song to the next. Each song flows so smoothly, and there’s no difference with “Jeremy Drinks Bleach” and “Crash and Burn”. It seems as though Boys No Good has continued to draw influence from Set Your Goals, as “Crash and Burn” easily reminds me of a song that could have been on Mutiny!, but with a more punk, raspy vocal on the track.  “Cut Your Heart Out” starts out with a very Living With Lions/Set Your Goals-esque riff, and quickly begins to sound like CA’s Heartsounds. This song definitely has a huge west-coast style to it, and being from the west coast, I’m really into it. “Cut Your Heart Out” is your typical pop-punk break-up song, but this time, the guy is finally over the girl. The next song is another minute-and-a-half outfit titled “Serenity Now”. I’m really stoked on the fact that Boys No Good have placed these short songs on the album a couple of different times. It seems as though this is to give the listeners a bit of a break from the normal 3 minute long pop-punk song, and just give you something quick to listen to. The end of this track showcases the bands hardcore side again, and will get any hardcore fan stoked.  Do you like the early 2000s? Did you like Drive-Thru Records in the early 2000s? Well, if so, you will most definitely be stoked on “High And Mighty”, as this song could have been a 2002 Drive-Thru Records release. Dig deep into your soul and find that nostalgia you’ve been looking for, and you’ll be blaring this song with the windows down in your Volkswagen Beetle in a mix of Sticks and Stones and Kings of Pop.  The beginning of “Thanks for Nothing” beautifully integrates gang vocals with a punk beat and melodically perfect vocals. This song seems like the one song live that would create an instant circle pit, slowing it down to half-time for the chorus, but quickly picking it up again and getting ready to go back into a two-step beat. The song finishes off with a little bit of a chunky breakdown, and these days, it seems hard to find a band who can use a breakdown in a pop-punk song without being branded as “easycore”, and Boys No Good has found that balance. “End of a Good Thing” clocks in as Never Felt Better’s longest song at 4:16, and until about halfway through the song, I was honestly a little bit bored. But, Boys No Good surprised me with an acapella lyric “Sometimes the end of a good thing can come so soon/It’s such a pleasure cutting ties with you”, and cuts it into a chunky breakdown with a pop-punk guitar riff over it, and leads you to believe that you’ve reached the end of the song. As the guitar is fading out, it picks back up and goes back into another riff, and picks up the chorus again. I was very surprised with End of a Good Thing, the song went from boring to something new and exciting that Boys No Good hadn’t done yet. The album ends off with “Rosemary’s Children”. The song starts off and it seems as though this is the darkest song on Never Felt Better. The band also manages to slip the name of the album in this song, and you know when you hear an actor say the name of the movie in the script? This sort of thing gets me just as excited. As much as that excited me, the rest of the song doesn’t do much for me. It’s not a very strong end to the album, but I feel as though the majority of the album makes up for the last track. The end of the album is a fade out track (I didn’t know people still did that), of a really cool lyric, though: “I wish I could say that I’ve never felt better/But I’ve never felt worse.” Rating: 4.5/5 Never Felt Better drops on July 26th on Indianola Records. Also, “Jeremy Drinks Bleach” is currently streaming on the band’s Facebook profile.
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A FUCK YEAH POP-PUNK REVIEW: Boys No Good - Never Felt Better

Jacksonville, FL’s Boys No Good are certainly a force in pop-punk and hardcore to be reckoned with. With members of hardcore fathers Casey Jones and Evergreen Terrace, you begin to see how hardcore can kindly influence pop-punk, kind of like a little brother. Boys No Good’s debut Indianola Records release, Never Felt Better, is a perfect follow up to 2010’s Fat Gurls EP.  Never Felt Better shows a little bit more maturity, but enough to lose that playful hardcore/pop-punk connection that we oh-so love. 

The album starts off with a 34 second instrumental intro that opens up the first track “Bold City Tigers”, like it should be one song together. The song immediately starts with soaring clean vocals, but quickly gets down to the raw, gritty vocals that Boys No Good is known for. The chorus is bound to get instantly stuck in your head, also while paying homage to “The sunshine state”, where the band hails from. Boys No Good also carefully places a breakdown into the song, but manages to keep it rather classy, than cheesy. 

As soon as “Bold City Tigers” ends, we’re quickly welcomed with the very hardcore influenced track “Buried At Sea”. This 1:36 track is packed full of hardcore, but Boys No Good manages to slip a little pop-punk in at the end in a bridge that will be sure to help you get your two-step on. 

“So Far Gone”, the fourth track on the album, is a bit more of a forgettable track, as I found myself not paying as much attention to it as I had on the previous tracks. Although this track may not be as memorable as the others, the album picks right back up with “Jeremy Drinks Bleach”. It seems as though Boys No Good have a knack of writing choruses that are going to be stuck in your head for weeks on end, as they’ve done so with “Bleach”. In the bridge of the song, I’m surprised by the new technique thrown in, with duelling vocals similar to that of Four Year Strong or Set Your Goals, and this makes a pop-punk enthusiast like myself, extremely ecstatic. The bridge fits together like a perfect pop-punk/melodic hardcore harmony, before cutting back into the chorus and a chunky riff to end the song.

Something I’ve come to really admire about this album, is the transitions from one song to the next. Each song flows so smoothly, and there’s no difference with “Jeremy Drinks Bleach” and “Crash and Burn”. It seems as though Boys No Good has continued to draw influence from Set Your Goals, as “Crash and Burn” easily reminds me of a song that could have been on Mutiny!, but with a more punk, raspy vocal on the track. 

“Cut Your Heart Out” starts out with a very Living With Lions/Set Your Goals-esque riff, and quickly begins to sound like CA’s Heartsounds. This song definitely has a huge west-coast style to it, and being from the west coast, I’m really into it. “Cut Your Heart Out” is your typical pop-punk break-up song, but this time, the guy is finally over the girl.

The next song is another minute-and-a-half outfit titled “Serenity Now”. I’m really stoked on the fact that Boys No Good have placed these short songs on the album a couple of different times. It seems as though this is to give the listeners a bit of a break from the normal 3 minute long pop-punk song, and just give you something quick to listen to. The end of this track showcases the bands hardcore side again, and will get any hardcore fan stoked. 

Do you like the early 2000s? Did you like Drive-Thru Records in the early 2000s? Well, if so, you will most definitely be stoked on “High And Mighty”, as this song could have been a 2002 Drive-Thru Records release. Dig deep into your soul and find that nostalgia you’ve been looking for, and you’ll be blaring this song with the windows down in your Volkswagen Beetle in a mix of Sticks and Stones and Kings of Pop. 

The beginning of “Thanks for Nothing” beautifully integrates gang vocals with a punk beat and melodically perfect vocals. This song seems like the one song live that would create an instant circle pit, slowing it down to half-time for the chorus, but quickly picking it up again and getting ready to go back into a two-step beat. The song finishes off with a little bit of a chunky breakdown, and these days, it seems hard to find a band who can use a breakdown in a pop-punk song without being branded as “easycore”, and Boys No Good has found that balance.

“End of a Good Thing” clocks in as Never Felt Better’s longest song at 4:16, and until about halfway through the song, I was honestly a little bit bored. But, Boys No Good surprised me with an acapella lyric “Sometimes the end of a good thing can come so soon/It’s such a pleasure cutting ties with you”, and cuts it into a chunky breakdown with a pop-punk guitar riff over it, and leads you to believe that you’ve reached the end of the song. As the guitar is fading out, it picks back up and goes back into another riff, and picks up the chorus again. I was very surprised with End of a Good Thing, the song went from boring to something new and exciting that Boys No Good hadn’t done yet.

The album ends off with “Rosemary’s Children”. The song starts off and it seems as though this is the darkest song on Never Felt Better. The band also manages to slip the name of the album in this song, and you know when you hear an actor say the name of the movie in the script? This sort of thing gets me just as excited. As much as that excited me, the rest of the song doesn’t do much for me. It’s not a very strong end to the album, but I feel as though the majority of the album makes up for the last track. The end of the album is a fade out track (I didn’t know people still did that), of a really cool lyric, though: “I wish I could say that I’ve never felt better/But I’ve never felt worse.”

Rating: 4.5/5

Never Felt Better drops on July 26th on Indianola Records. Also, “Jeremy Drinks Bleach” is currently streaming on the band’s Facebook profile.

Bear with me guys, this is my first album review ever! If you haven’t heard of Carridale yet, you’re doing something wrong. The 5-piece pop punk band from Decatur, Alabama, already seems out of place, being from Alabama - not to mention they have members from the metal band Mychildren Mybride. The band over looks the stereotypes of where they’re from - location and previous bands, and comes out with an awesome new EP. Relapse In The River City is full of everything a pop-punk record should have: fast punk beats, catchy melodies, relatable yet metaphorical lyrics, gang vocals, and whoa-ohs. Get ready to pop-punk jump in your bedroom until your walls fall down.  The EP starts with How Did I End Up Here?, a song with a fast, punk beat that’s going to make you want to start a circle pit as soon as it starts. The song draws you into the EP, and from it, you know that you’re gonna be hooked on this band.  Relapse continues with songs that you may have already heard on the bands Myspace page, A Lesson In Semantics, Count On Me, and One Girl’s Trash Is Another Girl’s Trash. Lesson starts out with a seemingly “easycore” riff, and makes it work with their upbeat, early 00’s-esque pop-punk. Count On Me is another song that’s going to make you want to stage dive, pile-on, and sing your heart out. One Girl’s Trash is the track with the aforementioned “whoa-ohs.” You know this one’s going to be a good track, just from that. I mean, who doesn’t love themselves some whoa-oh’s?  Back to the unheard tracks! Relapse continues on with the title track to the EP. The topic of this song seems to be extremely popular in the pop-punk community, but I think that a pop-punk album isn’t complete without a song about touring and hating the town that you actually live in, so here it is. If you’re looking for a song to singalong to in the car while road tripping, or even touring, this is the song you’re gonna want to listen to. Circular Logic: relationship song! Pop-punk hates girls! Catchy! Yay! That’s all you need to know about Circular Logic. It’s awesome. Oh, and it has a sick guitar solo in the bridge and an awesome singalong at the end. My Oubliette starts out with another fast punk beat, your “stay positive” lyrics, and ends the EP with another singalong. All in all, Relapse In The River City is a fucking solid pop-punk album. Go pick it up, at a show, pre-order it at their bigcartel website, or buy it online somewhere. Support this band so they can keep doing what they love to do.  Relapse In The River City comes out this Tuesday, February 8th. Bigcartel: http://carridale.bigcartel.comMyspace: http://myspace.com/carridaleFacebook: http://facebook.com/carridalemusic 
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Bear with me guys, this is my first album review ever!

If you haven’t heard of Carridale yet, you’re doing something wrong. The 5-piece pop punk band from Decatur, Alabama, already seems out of place, being from Alabama - not to mention they have members from the metal band Mychildren Mybride. The band over looks the stereotypes of where they’re from - location and previous bands, and comes out with an awesome new EP.

Relapse In The River City is full of everything a pop-punk record should have: fast punk beats, catchy melodies, relatable yet metaphorical lyrics, gang vocals, and whoa-ohs. Get ready to pop-punk jump in your bedroom until your walls fall down. 

The EP starts with How Did I End Up Here?, a song with a fast, punk beat that’s going to make you want to start a circle pit as soon as it starts. The song draws you into the EP, and from it, you know that you’re gonna be hooked on this band. 

Relapse continues with songs that you may have already heard on the bands Myspace page, A Lesson In Semantics, Count On Me, and One Girl’s Trash Is Another Girl’s Trash. Lesson starts out with a seemingly “easycore” riff, and makes it work with their upbeat, early 00’s-esque pop-punk. Count On Me is another song that’s going to make you want to stage dive, pile-on, and sing your heart out. One Girl’s Trash is the track with the aforementioned “whoa-ohs.” You know this one’s going to be a good track, just from that. I mean, who doesn’t love themselves some whoa-oh’s? 

Back to the unheard tracks! Relapse continues on with the title track to the EP. The topic of this song seems to be extremely popular in the pop-punk community, but I think that a pop-punk album isn’t complete without a song about touring and hating the town that you actually live in, so here it is. If you’re looking for a song to singalong to in the car while road tripping, or even touring, this is the song you’re gonna want to listen to. Circular Logic: relationship song! Pop-punk hates girls! Catchy! Yay! That’s all you need to know about Circular Logic. It’s awesome. Oh, and it has a sick guitar solo in the bridge and an awesome singalong at the end. My Oubliette starts out with another fast punk beat, your “stay positive” lyrics, and ends the EP with another singalong.

All in all, Relapse In The River City is a fucking solid pop-punk album. Go pick it up, at a show, pre-order it at their bigcartel website, or buy it online somewhere. Support this band so they can keep doing what they love to do. 

Relapse In The River City comes out this Tuesday, February 8th.

Bigcartel: http://carridale.bigcartel.com
Myspace: http://myspace.com/carridale
Facebook: http://facebook.com/carridalemusic 

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