Album Review: New Lungs by Burnt Tapes

It’s been three years since I attempted to do an album review but if there is one band that will get me to sit down behind my laptop and do one it’s my friends Burnt Tapes. On August the 8th they will release their long awaited second album, the follow up to 2019’s incredible Never Better (one of my all time favourite albums). The new album is titled New Lungs and being released once again by Lockjaw Records (UK) and Wiretap Records (USA), as well as a tape from Nasty Cut Records (Denmark). Tapes on tape – it’s about time, right?

I feel like I need to address the fact that this review might come across as incredibly biased. These guys have been friends of mine for a long time now, they started out as Burnt Tapes around the same time as I started doing CPRW and we’ve reviewed every EP and album they’ve released, along with countless live shows. I’ve never made it a secret how highly I think of Phil, Pan, Jordan and Tone not just as musicians but as people, so yeah this will probably come across as a really biased review. I’m saying nice things about my friends’ new album, but rest assured that every word I type in this review I really mean and I’m not just buttering up my mates. I’ve had New Lungs on repeat in a dark room where I usually sleep for a couple of months now and I’m excited to share my views on it with you. Let’s take a deep breath and jump right in.

New Lungs begins with the song Crisis Actor. The song starts with a familiar Burnt Tapes tone that has me thinking of Lost In Transit, the final track from Never Better. It almost feels like a continuation or at least a call back, something the band are known for doing. I love this. Crisis Actor eases you into the album with Pan’s vocals over that welcoming riff. Before long the whole band comes in. This song sets the tone for the whole album with its big, emotional build. We then launch into a stretch of the four singles the band released in the run up to the album. Up first is MOTHERSGUILT. The very first line features a common Burnt Tapes trope – grinding teeth. I immediately got a kick out of this. The song explores the theme of feeling like you’re not meeting other people’s expectations of you and using the guilt that gives you as fuel to keep on going. I feel like that’s something that most of us has gone through at times, making the song hugely relatable. The chorus will no doubt earn some big sing-alongs and feel cathartic for many. 

Little Sister was originally released way back in 2023 and gave us a glimpse as to what was coming from the band. Phil takes over lead vocals for this deep and emotional song about a particularly hard and dark time with his mental health that he went through. He tells a story about the journey of reaching a low point and reaching out for help before things get even lower. This is a mid-tempo track with a catchy chorus. The stand out moment on the track however is the guest vocal appearance from Hannah Hermione Greenwood from Creeper on the bridge. This really adds to the emotion of the song. As of yet, Hannah hasn’t joined the band to do this live – maybe at the album launch at the Black Heart in Camden on the 19th of September? That would be cool. Next is the brilliantly titled You Only YOLO Once. This is one of the higher tempo tracks on New Lungs and really showcases the band’s trademark sad boy pop punk moniker. Sonically it’s an upbeat, almost summery-sounding song but when you dig down into Pan’s lyrics you discover a song about his own mental health struggles. The line “every now and then, it hits me like a bullet train” is one I imagine a lot of people listening will find extremely relatable. I know I certainly do. Of course there is another broken teeth reference in the song, because of course there is. I’ve heard that they’re trying to get a dentist sponsorship.

The album’s title track, New Lungs is the fourth and final single from the album. Continuing the more poppy version of their sound, New Lungs once again talks about mental health. The song actually starts out feeling quite hopeful as Pan sings “new lungs set to breathe new seasons, held breath and an unsure sweaty brow, I’m better now, I’m better.” This mood soon changes though as Pan sings about having a toxic relationship with either another person or their own brain and that person/brain and being brought down once again, not knowing who you are anymore. This song features another great chorus and some big hooks that will really pull a live crowd in. Shelf Life Of The Party is another fantastic song title. Phil is back on lead vocal duties and the energy remains. On my first listen to New Lungs this is one of the songs that really stood out to me. It’s about getting older and feeling burnt out, lost, like you’re finished and you’re not the person you used to be. Phil’s vocals bring an intensity to the song that I love and I really hope it becomes a regular in their live set going forward. 

Track seven is titled Office On Repeat. On my first listen of New Lungs, my first thought was that this was the album closer as it has a huge, epic ending. There’s still three more bangers to come though and trust me, the closer is an incredible ending for the album. Office On Repeat starts out as a mid-tempo pop punk song talking about the end of a relationship. As we reach the final third of the song, the tempo and melody changes and we get a big emo ending that will get a big reaction from a live crowd. There’s a few moments on this album that do make me think that this has been specifically written with a live crowd reaction in mind and I’m a big fan of when bands do that. The pace is brought right back up on Future Strangers. Have you ever come to a point in your life where it feels like something has hit a road block, you don’t know what comes next and you begin to question everything? That’s what this song is about. I enjoyed the sliver of hope that track gives you as Pan sings “it’ll all make sense in time.” It’s a simple and powerful lyric that works so well in the song.

The penultimate song is named OnlyFriends. The song starts slowly, similar in style to the classic Things Get Weird. Pan sings softly as the song gradually builds up to its big finale. This slow start really adds to the emotion of the song and really pulls you in. There’s no slow start and then bang, you’re in, OnlyFriends builds and builds and takes you with it. When that big moment does finally come in and it hits you, you feel ready to be hit. Fantastic songwriting. There is also a moment in the song when the band becomes the big stadium rock band they deserve to be when they implement a crowd participation clapping section. The tenth and final song is So Long, Sundays. This might be the most ambitious piece of songwriting that Burnt Tapes have ever attempted and of course they pulled it off. A perfect choice to bring the album to an end. This song is about going through all the hard times that happen in your life and eventually finding your way out of the other side. New Lungs is an album that has plenty of down moments, so having this moment of hope at the end is really refreshing. It serves as a great reminder that no matter how hard things can get, sometimes it will get better and it’s always great to be reminded of that. There’s a moment at the end of the song that I won’t spoil for you but it’s something that I never, ever expected to hear on a Burnt Tapes album. I guess they’ve been hanging out at the New Cross Inn for too long now. 

It’s been six years since the Burnt Tapes released Never Better and you can really hear the progression the band have made as a band on New Lungs. You can hear a change in their sound but everything you ever loved about the band remains. Daly George from The Ranch once again did a phenomenal job with the production on the album, he did a fantastic job bring all of these songs to life. New Lungs has been my most anticipated album of the year since the band released Never Better and it did not disappoint. I’m not even that sad that the reworked version of Go Drunk didn’t make the cut, as each song brings something different but it all flows nicely together. It’s an album that can be listened to as an album or as singles. I do feel like each one of these songs could’ve been used as a single. As I said at the start of this, Burnt Tapes are my friends and this could come across as biased, but I truly believe that this is a fantastic album. I would say that if you loved Never Better then this might be a bit of a grower but you’ll soon come to love it just as much, if not more. Well done friends, loving your work.

Burnt Tapes play an album release show with Modern Shakes and Making Friends at the Black Heart in Camden on Friday the 19th of September. You should come to the party. Get your ticket here.

Gig Review: Call Me Malcolm Album Launch Show at New Cross Inn, London 26/8/21

I think that the 538 gap between buying a ticket and attending a gig may be a new record for me. (Though I know because of rescheduling and such it will be broken). That’s how many days it was between buying a ticket and then finally being able to attend Call Me Malcolm’s launch show for their stunning album Me, Myself And Something Else at the New Cross Inn. Obviously this delay and then rescheduling was no fault of the band or promoter, Be Sharp, but due to the dumpster fire that has been the past eighteen months. But we finally got to the stage where it was able happen and excitement was in the air.

We arrived in South London with plenty of time to spare before the gig. This was spent catching up with friends we haven’t seen in far too long (including Dan, Dan#2 and Lee of the CPRW team), as well as meeting Chris from Warrington Ska Punk for the first time. What a lovely man he is.

Unfortunately due to some technical issues with the sound, Call Me Malcolm’s sound check caused the gig to start later than planned. This would become a bit of a shame later in the night but, to be honest, it was quite nice to have a bit longer to hang out with folk – something that has been missed just as much as live music has been.

Eventually it was time for Hemel Hempstead’s Codename Colin to start the show. As is tradition for the band, they began their set with a cover of Europe’s The Final Countdown. This is one of those songs that you feel like was written to be covered by a ska band. Codename Colin have often veered towards the sillier side of ska punk which made them perfect to start a gig which was essentially a massive party. Frontman Charlie, wearing a brand new suit jacket, lead the crowd in many sing-alongs ensuring the crowd was plenty warmed up for the night ahead. Highlights of the set for me included Little Things, Kelly’s Missing, Dream State and a cover of Depeche Mode’s I Just Can’t Get Enough. It’s always a pleasure to see Codename Colin play shows, I always come away with a smile on my face.

 

The next two bands on the line up had both made their way down from Leeds to play the show. First up were Sunliner, who you may know better as Jake And The Jellyfish. I believe that the band changed their name in early 2020 and then the world went to shit which sadly put a halt on them playing any shows and getting the band name out there. They did however manage to get some superb singles out and I was excited to see this new incarnation of the band live. Seeing these new songs live gave them a whole new lease of life, they felt so full of energy that you couldn’t help but be transfixed to the stage. Jake has one of the most unique voices in the UK punk scene and it suits this sound perfectly. I could tell that a lot of the folk who were stood around me were seriously impressed with the band and rightly so. Sunliner finished their set by going a bit old school with a great rendition of 23 which will have pleased plenty of J&TJ fans in the audience.

Eat Defeat are a hugely popular band at the New Cross Inn. Despite being based in Leeds, it always feels like they’re playing a home venue whenever they come down. This was their first show since January 2020, when they played Do It Together Fest at the New Cross Inn. During the pandemic, the band released a brand new EP named Go Outside which they had actually recorded in 2019. Obviously because of everything that’s happened, they never got to release the EP with any sort of fanfare so they just put it on their streaming pages for their fans to enjoy. I thought it was a pretty gutsy move to open their set with Everything Is Broken from that EP but it didn’t stop the crowd singing and dancing enthusiastically. From there they moved onto a set full of favourites from their album I Think We’ll Be OK and the EP Time & Tide. Something I always notice whenever I see Eat Defeat live is how much more aggression they play with than how they are on record. I’m a big fan of this and it’s a massive reason why I enjoy them so much whenever I get to see them. Highlights of the set for me were Smile, Self Help (For The Helplessly Selfless), The North Remembers and, of course, Not Today, Old Friend. The outro with the crowd shouting “I think we’ll be ok” back at the band had never felt more poignant and was the perfect way to end the set.

 

At this point, the show was running quite late and we knew that we would end up missing a chunk of Call Me Malcolm’s set. That didn’t dampen any of my excitement however. Three quarters of a Malcolm set at the New Cross Inn is better than any other band’s full set. It won’t surprise anyone reading that Me, Myself And Something Else was one of my favourite albums of 2020 so to finally have the opportunity to see these songs live was going to be a very special moment. I said in my review last year that songs showed off a heavier side of Call Me Malcolm and I was interested to see how they would fit into their set. The answer to that is fucking perfectly. I don’t know if it was because I had been listening to them for over a year but each “new” song they played felt like an old friend. They fit perfectly with the older material and really took the Malcolm live experience to a whole new level. Looking into the crowd, from the safety of the side of the stage, it was amazing to see everyone in the venue going absolutely nuts for each song. It didn’t matter if it was old or new – it was loved. We were approaching 11pm quickly, the time we knew that we would have to leave by to catch our train back to Bedford. We assumed this would mean that we would miss seeing traditional Malcolm set closer All My Nameless Friends, a song we’d been desperate to hear live for the entirety of the pandemic. For those reading who might not know, the song is partly about how people will help you through your darkest times and partly a love letter to the New Cross Inn scene. It’s a track that has really got me through the hardest times over the last eighteen months. Being not only the best band, but the best people as well, Malcolm changed their set list so that the folk who would have to leave early got to hear it. I don’t think that I’ve ever heard a crowd sing along to a song with more love and passion as I did that night. It was a really emotional moment that I won’t forget for a long, long time. Sadly after this we had to dash for our train but we already can’t wait for our next time seeing Call Me Malcolm live. That’ll be at Till The Fest, back at the New Cross Inn in October.

This gig review was written by Colin Clark. Photos also by Colin.

Album Review: Axiom by Harker (by Chris Bishton)

I've been looking forward to this one. It seems an age since Brighton's 'Emogazers', Harker, released their debut No Discordance. Actually, it's only been three years. But it seems longer as the sophomore, Axiom, has been delayed due to obvious difficulties getting into the studio to record it last year. But now it's here. Firing not just against the apathy brought on by repetitive lockdowns and stay home orders, but also demanding action on a whole range of social, economic and environmental needs. It's very powerful and it's been very much worth the wait.

The first track is The Beast Must Die. Already released online a few months earlier as a showcase to the album, it's easy to see why. It totally embodies the band and frames the rest of the LP. Thirty odd seconds of feedback before the fuzzy guitars start, which then eventually combine with Mark's vocals to create a sound that is somehow new, but also familiar. Does that makes sense? Probably not, but that's the overriding takeaway for me on this new album.

There are echoes of bands from my youth. This is great for me because I spent the 90s listening to far more to Sonic Youth, Swervedriver (look them up if you don't know them by the way – one of the very best 'gazer' bands from back then) and, dare I say it, the Manics, than I ever did NOFX or No Use For A Name. That's not to say these bands aren't great. They are. It's just when I was a teen I was more often than not on the emo end of the spectrum. But despite these comparisons, Harker are, nevertheless, contemporary. There's more of an urgency to this, making it sit more comfortably with possible similarities with The Gaslight Anthem and a fiercer, punk sound.

It's based on the idea of ‘mono-consciousness’ – seeking a heightened sense of meaning and avoiding a closed mindset, but with the subjects of the song showing a lack of empathy, leading to the aforementioned apathy. It's this idea that the mono-consciousness is a beast inside of us that needs hunting out before it takes control. As an opening track, it's a real statement. Different to the debut album, but recognisable, and most importantly, fantastically powerful.

Sign of Crows is next. Instantly recognisable as Harker. Catchy and tuneful, bouncing along, before it slows and dips, before rising again. This is where Mark's ardent voice reminds me a lot of James Dean Bradfield – soulful and authoritative.

Adulthood is the other track that was released online in advance of the full album. Consequently familiar, it already seems to be an associated favourite. It starts slowly enough, forges ahead with mid-tempo singalong vibes, before once again receding against a somewhat introspective feel.

The fourth song, Hellion, is probably my favourite. An instant start, fast and harmonic, it pauses for breath and then crashes on and feeds back. Rowdy and mischievous in every sense indeed. This will be the song that people will be singing along to in a packed and sweaty venue once we start up again.

Moriah is heavier, grittier and rockier. A bit of a harder listen for me, a little bit unexpected. A shorter song, but its foundations quickly grow on me.

Flex Yr Head is an older track released online post No Discordance and it gets a deserved spot on the album here. It's a Harker favourite of mine and it's great to have it placed amongst these other songs. It fits well, bridging the old and the new.

Daisychain is another of those songs that starts slowly and builds, but without reaching a crescendo. There's no huge upsurge in this song, which keeps me focused as I listen intently.

The penultimate track is No Sun. Jaunty with a recognisable Harker feel, it's very infectious before the album draws to a close with Antenna. At six and a half minutes long, you need to strap yourself in for this last track, rising and dipping throughout. Screeching vocals, endless guitars and feedback leads to a subtle mid song ballad, before building again to bring the album to an intense conclusion.

It's a cliché to say that second albums often show the band has matured, so I'll try and resist. However, it is different to the first album with a more considered sound. It's certainly not smashed out and not quite as poppy as the first. Those elements are still there so older fans should still love this, but there's parts that actually feel quite sombre; although I'm not sure that was the intent – it's still tremendously catchy and sonorous, pitched perfectly.

Axiom is available on a number of labels in the UK, Europe, the US and Japan – Disconnect Disconnect Records, Shield Recordings, Wiretap Records and Fixing A Hole Records. No matter where you are in the world, I strongly recommend you pick it up.

Pre-order Axiom on Bandcamp here.

Like Harker on Facebook here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.

Album Review: This Is What Honesty Sounds Like by Catholic Guilt

I can’t think of many more prolific punk rock record labels than Wiretap Records over the past couple of years. They’ve put out so many great releases from bands such as Burnt Tapes, Call Me Malcolm, Tiny Stills, Spanish Love Songs, Answering Machine, Odd Robot, Problem Daughter and many, many more. A newer band to their roster is Australia’s Catholic Guilt. The Melbourne based five piece have been working hard for a number of years now and they’ve just started to find an audience outside of their home country. They were supposed to make their first appearance at The Fest in 2020 which has now been postponed until 2021. They would have played the festival in support of their newest EP This Is What Honesty Sounds Like which was released by Wiretap at the end of August.

The EP begins with A Boutique Affair which, for me, is the best of the five tracks on This Is What Honesty Sounds Like. This is an up-tempo pop punk song about the struggles of making new friends as you get older, particularly if you grew up as a bit of an outsider. The track begins with a distinctive drum beat and a stop/start guitar riff before the vocals come in. Those opening vocals really hook you in to the song and have you excited to see where the song will go. Something I really like about Catholic Guilt is their use of multiple vocalists. This gives the song so much infectious energy. For me, this is one of the best songs released in 2020. The second track is Song Of The Renter. This is more of a mid-tempo track that will encourage some big sing-alongs. Continuing to use three different vocalists on the track gives it such a fresh and inclusive feeling. That inclusive feeling that the vocals give is fitting as Song Of The Renter was written in hope of becoming a song of joyful rebellion for the current generation that will have to rent their homes because houses have become unaffordable for young people.

Up next is Life In Three Part Harmony. This is a love song that’s equal parts cheesy and charming. During the track, singer Brenton Harris sings about the loving live music and his partner and how the two have become intertwined. This is a slow paced track that has some quiet emotional moments and some loud and powerful moments that will make a crowd erupt. I loved the second verse of “spirits rise, walls fall, between young and old, every major or minor chord played, and every word sung, a communal state, a temporary escape, as all walks of life, become one.” They really had me missing gigs. The penultimate song is titled The Awful Truth. After the emotional love song that came previously, The Awful Truth is much harder hitting lyrically. It’s about the role that the Catholic church has played in child sexual abuse cases. Stylistically this is a very accessible pop song. This will attract people to the song and then let them hear the message without it being too overbearing or distressing whilst still spreading the message. Super songwriting. The final song is named Nothing… and is about grieving over a loved one and the lessons that they taught you. As you might imagine, this is a sombre sounding song. It starts slowly and has these amazing building moments. This adds so much more emotion to the song. You can feel the grief in the vocals and anyone going through a similar thing will find this extremely cathartic. The song finishes with some amazing three part harmonies that have to be heard to be believed. This is such a striking way to finish the EP and will live long in the memory.

I’ve been a big fan of Australian punk rock for a few years now and I love seeing more and more bands from Australia get exposure on this side of the world. Catholic Guilt seem to offer something a little different from a lot of other bands from their country. The multiple vocalists and fantastic lyrics are what really help the band stand out and they should definitely be a band you should be checking out.

Stream and download This Is What Honesty Sounds Like on Bandcamp here.

Like Catholic Guilt on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Bad Luck by Answering Machine (by Emma Prew)

Answering Machine are a five-piece powerpop meets rock ’n’ roll punk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2016 by Samantha (vocals) and JD (guitar and vocals) – who are also school teachers – alongside Jackson (guitar), Craig (bass) and Louis (drums), Answering Machine have a couple of EPs under their belts and have just released their debut full-length. The album, titled Bad Luck, was released on 17th April on the ever excellent Wiretap Records. We were actually lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the album but, unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way and has delayed publication of this review until after the album’s release. This just means that you can actually go away yourself and listen to Bad Luck right now, however! Or you can read my review first…

Bad Luck kicks off with Riverdale and immediately sets the tone for what to expect from a full-length Answering Machine release. There are jangly guitars a’plenty and blissful dual vocals from JD and Samantha which are perfectly layered over one another, then topped off with some subtle backing ooohs. I had instant Tom Petty vibes when listening to this song which was not something I necessarily expected from a punk band but, on closer inspection of the album’s press release, Petty is in fact noted as an influence. ‘I’ve got one last regret, Tonight I pay my debt, Whatever it takes, To survive.’ The album’s title track and lead single, which was released last year, is up next – Bad Luck. Here we have big melodic guitars from the outset playing an oh-so-catchy riff. It’s not all about the guitars though, as the rhythm section really hold the track together. And, of course, there’s Samantha’s incredible voice. Bad Luck is the perfect mid-tempo pop song, complete with a catchy chorus. A particular highlight of the song is the bass breakdown in the bridge which is accompanied by some more of those lovely ooohs.

Without even hearing the third song, Bubblegum, its title suggests pop and… well, that’s exactly what we get. The Ramones influence is clear here, not least with the repetitive lyrics – JD sings ‘Give me, give me, give me, give me bubblegum’ while Samantha echoes ‘Give me, give me…’. It’s simple yet effective and sure is a lot of fun. Chugging guitars, a bouncy bass line and firm drums help Answering Machine deliver an infectious pop song that doesn’t fail to put a smile on your face. Hollywood Smog is the title of the fourth song. This song has a slower pace and muted instrumentation to start with, which allow us to focus on Samantha’s voice – ‘My head is filled up, Filled up with Hollywood smog.’ As the song progresses, the softer vocals from Samantha remain but the instruments pack a punch – what a wonderful contrast this is. Next up is This Year. The pace is upped here for an energetic pop punk song. From the excellent opening lyrics – ‘Spent the first day of this year, Shivering on my bathroom floor, I don’t want to do this anymore. Spent the last day of this year, Doing shots of whiskey with my friends, I’m not good at learning.’ – through to an instrumental breakdown towards the end of the song, this is a banger. It’s also one that I’m sure we can all relate to. This Year is about wanting to change your ways and learn from your mistakes, but repeating the same things you did last year. One of the real highlights of the album for sure.

The latest single, Cherry Coke, opens up the second half of the album. The song is as sugary sweet as its title suggests with more of those wonderful jangly guitars bringing an easy-going, summertime feel to the track. JD has said that Cherry Coke “[Is] for all the old folks who want to settle down but still have some fun. This one’s inspired by a love of Buddy Holly, 60s pop music, and The Ramones.” and you can definitely hear that in the song. I mean that both musically and with lines like ‘Yesterday is another day so we can sort it out.’ Marie takes a slightly different turn musically, at least to start with. Fuzzy stop-start guitars and a drum roll kick off the song which sound immense – in the best way. Soon enough, the vocals come to the forefront alongside a firm bass line. As reflected in the line ‘You’ve got seven ways to tell your story, Seven faces like your own.’, the song does feel like a story and is a joy to follow. Marie also features another short instrumental breakdown towards the end of the song, showing off the fine musicianship of each band member.

Track number eight, Wet Blanket, has quite a hard-hitting opening. This feeling is retained, although somewhat more subtly, when the vocals come in with lines like ‘I’ve got these violent fantasies, Sometimes they get ahold of me‘. Think of a punchy almost bluesy bass line and big rock ’n’ rolling guitars and you’ll be somewhere along the lines of Wet Blanket. There are also more of those lovely backing vocal harmonies that we love so much – JD and Samantha do a wonderful job of backing each other up throughout the album when one or the other takes the lead. The penultimate track of Bad Luck is called Water Signs. This song has a slower pace to begin with but when the vocals come in they drive the song forward and are accompanied by a super catchy, danceable guitar and bass parts – just try not nodding your head or tapping your toes along to this one, you won’t be able to sit still. The melody reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it. (Let me know if you can figure out what it is!) The final song on the album is Someplace. I was very surprised to hear harmonica and (I think) acoustic guitar for this last song. It was completely unexpected but I instantly loved it so much – honestly, this might be my favourite song on the album. Someplace has an entirely different sound and feel to everything else on the album but works really well as a closing track. I particularly enjoyed how JD and Samantha each had their own verses, while coming together for the chorus – ‘Always searching for someplace…’. A beautiful ending to one of the best powerpop albums you’ll hear this year.

Answering Machine have provided something for everyone on Bad Luck, whether you’re a rock ’n’ roller or a cheery pop fan, they have you covered. They even included harmonica if, like me, that’s something you think doesn’t feature enough in punk rock. We all need something to brighten up our days at the moment – well, most of the time really, but right now especially – and I think that this album is perfect for that. So put on those sunglasses*, kick back and enjoy half an hour of pop songs – you deserve it.

*You can wear sunglasses in your house or in your garden – no need to go further afield. STAY HOME.

You can stream and download Bad Luck on Bandcamp here and like Answering Machine on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Watch It Burn by American Television

Wiretap Records are one of those labels that constantly release gold. The latest example of that gold comes in the form of Watch It Burn by American Television. American Television are a four piece band from Washington DC. Since forming in 2013, they've consistently released EPs and singles but Watch It Burn is their first full length. It contains ten songs of infectious pop punk that will quickly embed themselves into your mind.

Watch It Burn begins with the song Awkward Universe. Like all good openers, there's a great build before the song starts properly with a gang vocal shout of the line "for what it's worth" before the lead singer of the song takes control. Musically it has me thinking of cross between The Copyrights and The Loved Ones – fast paced yet melodic with fantastic vocals and catchy lyrics. The track is about making your way through life without ever knowing what's next and how we should all try to and get on with one another as we're all on the same pathway. American Television increase the tempo on the second song, Standing Still. On my first listen, the opening drumbeat really caught my attention before the vocals come in and inject a whole lot of energy into the track. They have plenty of urgency behind them but are also delivered in a way that makes them extremely easy to pick up and sing along to. The track is about trying to move forward in your life and not stagnating. The third song is named Dead And Gone. It's a song about moving on from the people who used to bully you when you were younger and realising that you've outgrown them and they're a thing of the past. It's an uplifting song and that's shown in the melody. There's a feeling of joy that comes from singing along to the song, particularly the chorus.

Drinks begins with a deep bass line and some vocals. This gives the song quite an ominous start and an overall heavier tone throughout. Pop punk can be a tough genre to add any kind of variety to but American Television do a fantastic job of it here. The song is about using alcohol to help you get through difficult times and how, at the time, it makes you feel better but it's just a coping mechanism. The fifth song, Parasite, sees the band jump straight back to the fast paced Copyrights style. Injecting some energy at the halfway mark of the album helps ensure that the listener remains with the band. It's an angrier song about becoming something you hate and trying to come to terms with that. In this case, it's becoming "the man" and feeling like you've sold out from your working class roots. This is a stand out song on Watch It Burn, in my opinion. The band seem at their best when they're fast and angry.

Dad's Song is about following the advice of your father and going your own way in life instead of doing what is considered the normal direction and not having anything to show for it. The band drop the pace slightly to allow you to really listen and get a feel for what they're saying in the song. It's a song that seems to have an equal amount of regret and positivity in it. The regret being with the father for not living his own life and the positivity comes from the encouragement for you to do your own thing. Technology is a song about social media and how we become too caught up in it. This seems to be a bit of an in-vogue topic for bands to sing about and I'm all for it. Ironic really, as this blog relies on shares and clicks from social media sites. American Television do a fantastic job of articulately explaining the issues with social media and should really make even the biggest fan of these sites think twice about how they use them.

Wasteland USA is another stand out track on Watch It Burn. It's about the end of the world, so it's super chipper. Musically it's very upbeat, with some great buzzsaw-like guitars and a fantastic melody. On the track, American Television have a defiant attitude where they've given up and are ready to just "watch it burn." The line that really stood out towards the end of the track was "so what's the fuss? let's just get fucked." The penultimate track is titled Misprint. It's about growing up as a misfit punk and finding a home due to the music that you love. There's some great nods to some of the greats they grew up listening to littered throughout the song. "It's a sound salvation, radio" – Operation Ivy/Rancid. "I found a new religion, Greg Graffin was my priest" – Bad Religion. "I've still got a place to call my own suburban home" – Descendents. "I still write my songs with my trusty chords" – Hot Water Music. I always enjoy when bands put little nods to older acts in songs like this. It makes me feel like I'm in on it. That's basically what every misfit kid wants to feel like, like they're a part of something. The final track is named Great Divide. It's about the big difference in social classes in America and the band's frustration with that. This is a powerful way to finish the album and the band again do a great job of articulating why they're so fed up with this "great divide." I really like how well thought out the song is. I've heard plenty of punk songs that touch this topic that are just really angry (and rightly so) but American Television's argument is more likely to hit home with anyone who doesn't have a problem with these issues. American Television have saved their best for last here.

Watch It Burn is a well thought out pop punk album. On the surface it's a lot of fun and has plenty of moments that you can sing and dance along to but it's also got a lot of depth that will keep you coming back again and again.

Stream and download Watch It Burn on Bandcamp here.

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This review was written by Colin Clark.