State Champs // Kings Of The New Age // Album Review

New York pop-punk merchants State Champs release their fourth album on Friday the 13th of May, a bad omen some may say but not for these guys.

The album is crafted in a typical pop-punk fashion; fast catchy hooks with crunching riffs and harmonic chorus’ to a backdrop of thumping drums and fat basslines, the opening track “Here To Stay” is a case in point as bursts into life with kicking drums and funky riffs that hook you straight away with a melodic chorus and feel-good vibe.

The next few tracks are of a similar vein but have a faster, punchier feel while still maintaining its catchiness with “Everybody But You”, being a prime example of this jumping between an easy listen to a Sum 41 style breakdown, a real standout on the album. Tracks like “Fake It” and “Act Like That” are more pop than punk and having the ballad style “Half Empty”, with guest vocals coming from Against The Current’s Chrissy Constanza, cushioning them gives them a bit of leeway but they would be better suited on a mainstream pop album. “Just Sound” is an uptempo cracker with an anthemic air to it, a killer drum beat and smooth riffs drive the song big time giving you a serious earworm.

“Where Were You” and “Sundress” keeps the momentum going with a pair of high energy rockers that will get you moving and leads nicely into the closing track “Some Minds Don’t Change”, with summer just around the corner this is the perfect anthem for it, a banging track that brings the best out of the band and the pop-punk genre and a fitting way to finish the album

Review: Conor

King Of The New Age is out 13th of May Via Pure Noise Records.

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