Album Review: Bigger Than Today by Becker

Becker are a three piece band from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The band have been together since 2018 and have released a couple of EPs. Their latest, and the subject of this review, came out in January 2021. Titled Bigger Than Today, the EP features five fresh sounding pop punk songs that explore life as a thirty something.

 

First up is Psycho Therapy. My very first thoughts when I listened to the track were that Becker had a bit of a throwback sound that has been brought to 2021. I can easily imagine this being released by Lookout Records or Honest Dons twenty years ago. Psycho Therapy starts with a familiar melody that ensures you’re hooked in immediately and are keen to see where the song goes. The song is played at a mid tempo which really allows the listener to get a grasp of what the track is about. The track looks at admitting that you are struggling mentally and asking for help. This is a subject that I am very passionate about. Suicide is such a big killer of men in their thirties and so many lives could be saved just by talking, so much love to Becker for opening with such an important song. Next is Thank You For Not Smoking. This track starts with a nice rumbling bass line and drum beat that builds into the vocals. Becker pick the pace up on this track and squeeze a lot into the one minute and thirty second duration. The chorus is the stand out moment of the entire song for me, as the band compares their own lives to people who are perceived to be doing better.

Regarding Reggie has a slow, methodical intro that jumps into a faster paced moment. Adam Nohe’s bass is really allowed to shine throughout the song, it’s basically a lead bass line throughout the majority of the track. This track is about feeling lonely and looking at what has happened in your life to lead you to that particular moment. Much like the previous song, Becker do a superb job of squeezing a lot in to a song that is less than two minutes long. The penultimate song on the EP is Man Plans, God Laughs. This shows off a much slower and, dare I say, more grown up side of Becker. The four minute long song seems like a meticulously thought out track where the three piece somehow manage to make their sound huge. Layered guitars, pedal effects, heavy bass tones, pounding drums – it’s all in there. Man Plans, God Laughs is about how all the dreams you have as a child can come crashing down and how rubbish that is. The final song on Bigger Than Today is named Elder Hostile. I was interested to find out what this song what would like after the epic nature of Man Plans, God Laughs. I felt like it needed to be big to follow on from that. Becker return to their familiar sound to finish the EP. It’s faster paced and ensures that we finish with a lot of energy. The guitars buzz throughout the track, as the vocals do most of the work whilst carrying the melody. Towards the end of the song things get quiet and then begin to build to a big finale of whoa-oh gang vocals that will no doubt encourage a live audience when they get to play these songs live.

Bigger Than Today features four great power pop songs and one epic, emotional banger. As someone who is in their mid thirties and has often compared themselves to what other people are doing, I really found a lot of the subject matter extremely relatable and I’m sure a lot of people reading this will do so as well. If you loved bands such as Squirtgun and Nerf Herder, I really think you’re going to enjoy Becker.

Stream and download Bigger Than Today on Bandcamp here.

Like Becker on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Halloween Beach Party by Plastic Flamingos

Plastic Flamingos are a four piece band from Durham, North Carolina. Playing a mix of summer inspired pop punk with hints of 90s skate punk and power pop, the band who consist of Brian Summer (vocals/guitar), Elliot Schelske (guitar), Ryan Quinlan (bass) and Kevin Gavagan (drums) released their debut album Halloween Beach Party over halloween weekend of 2020.

Halloween Beach Party begins with You Can’t Spell Luau Without U. I was surprised to hear such a sad song to start the album. It’s about hoping to see someone at a party and being bummed out that they’re not there. Musically the track is quite slow and at times pretty crunchy but Brian’s high vocals give it a pop edge that I enjoyed. This feels like a very good indication of what to expect from the rest of the album. The next song is titled Guam, Baby, Guam and it really jumps out of the starting blocks. It’s a much more up-tempo track than the previous song and injects some real energy into the album. On the song, Plastic Flamingos sing about wanting to escape from the problems and responsibilities that come up in everyday life and head to the beach for some relaxation. I’m sure pretty much everyone reading this has related to this at some point in their lives, some of us probably every day.

The third track is Boardwalk Dairy Queen. This is a sweet song about love at first sight. This song is all about the lyrics. Brian does a fantastic job of making the lyrics feel visual; it’s very easy to imagine the movie of this song. The band have also managed to make the song feel quite urgent as well. I put this down to some chugging guitars and a pounding drumbeat. There’s also a nice surprise when the band get a ukulele out to add to the sweetness of the song. Up next is Heatwave. This track is about enjoying hot summers days with your friends and wondering when it will be possible to do so again. I’m not sure whether or not this song was written pre or post Covid-19 rearing its ugly little head but it’s definitely relatable either way. I miss seeing pals a lot so definitely get what Plastic Flamingos are talking about here. I’m not sure I’ve seen a sadder song title than Drink In My Hand, Tears In My Eyes in a long time. It’s one of the heavier and more emotional tracks on Halloween Beach Party. It’s about moving away from home and looking back on those times with fond memories. It was interesting to hear this sadder side of Plastic Flamingos.

Shipwrecked is a song about recovering from some mental health issues. It’s about trying to find your way back to your normal but not knowing the way there. I’m always all for bands talking about mental health so full credit to Plastic Flamingos for that. I feel like I’ve spoken about these songs being relatable a lot in this review and I’m going to again here – it’s relatable. The use of metaphors is magnificent as well. The penultimate song is titled Caribbean Love. The opening of the song weirdly reminds me of Where Have You Been? by Reel Big Fish. That might just be me though. Despites its name, Caribbean Love feels like quite a sad and melancholic song. During the track Brian sings about wanting to escape to somewhere lovely in the Caribbean with the person you love rather than being stuck somewhere cold and miserable. If it was me I’d probably moan about it being too warm but I’m a moody goth who hates sunshine. The final track is the album’s title track, Halloween Beach Party. This is a fun and uplifting way to finish the album. It’s a pop punk track that is guaranteed to put a massive smile on your face. I imagine it would be the set closer for the band. It’s about meeting up with all your friends to have a spooky party at the beach. It’s played at a faster tempo than anything else we've heard so far and really ensures that the album finishes on an energetic note.

What really drew me to this album was just how relatable a lot of the songs are. This will make the album accessible to a lot of people. I’m so impressed with the lyrics throughout the entire album. Musically it’s fun and breezy, if you don’t want to get too deep into the lyrics and just have a good time you can do that too. #PlasticFlamingosForFest19

As a little treat, Brian recorded a couple of acoustic songs for a CPRW project that sadly didn’t get off the ground. Check it out below.

Stream and download Halloween Beach Party on Bandcamp here.

Like Plastic Flamingos on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Alright by The Hype Pathetics

The Hype Pathetics are a three piece band from Denver, Colorado. Having only formed in the autumn of 2019, the band is already on their second release. In February they released their first single Red On White and then in August came their three track EP Alright. This is what we’re reviewing today. The Hype Pathetics play catchy, fast paced indie pop punk music and I’ve absolutely loved them for a couple of months now.

Six Pack is the first of the three songs on Alright. The song bursts into life with a shout of “4-5-6 Pack” before we are greeted with simple garage punk guitar riff and then lead singer Paul Bowers’ vocals come in. Bowers sings with a higher pitch that immediately catches your attention. On Six Pack, the vocals do most of the work when carrying the melody of the song, this is another thing that really pulls you in. The verse is pretty speedy in itself but when the chorus comes in things really get fun. The track is about having fun and getting drunk at punk rock gigs. I’m tee-total so I can’t really relate to the getting drunk but I do love having fun at punk rock gigs. Up next is Heart Attack – a song that injects you with energy from the very moment it starts. It has this great quality that has you wanting to get your boogie on. Flipping things around from the opener, on Heart Attack the chorus is the slower tempo section of the song and the verse is where all the energy comes from. The song is about being hyperactive and people not accepting you for the way you. The energy from the music really reflects the overall meaning of the song. I really enjoyed that. The third and final song is the EP’s title track, Alright. This was my favourite when I first listened to the EP. The Hype Pathetics again had me dancing like a silly sausage in my chair and having the time of my life. This may be a bit of an exaggeration but I was having a very nice time. This is one of the catchiest and most infectious songs I’ve ever heard. It’s extremely simple and repetitive but I don’t believe I’ve had more fun listening to a song in a long time. The song is about trying to get in touch with someone and hoping that they’re okay.

There is a good chance that The Hype Pathetics are my new favourite pop punk band and I beg you all to go and check them out, make sure they get huge and find their way to the UK so I can see them without having to get on a plane. Thanks very much.

Stream and download Alright on Bandcamp here.

Like The Hype Pathetics on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.