Above the Underground are labelled as pop-punk, but this album shows so much more. It opens with an intro track, titled Prologue, it’s short and sweet, but it’s a nice throwback these days as it’s a rarity.
Return to Point Pleasant is catchy and the chorus will get you involved almost instantly. You’ll definitely nod your head along and couple probably pick up a handful of the vocals after a few listens to join in all too loudly.
The name Lavender Town Syndrome might sound like it’s something from Pokémon, but it’s a really catchy little number which leads itself to a fun hook and some fantastically thought out group vocals.
I Was Never Lost takes it’s influence definitely more from the punk side of pop punk, with it’s back and forth, fast paced vocals to begin before it kicks into the slightly more traditional pop punk.
Acoustic track Shine is a beautifully lulling piece of music. It breaks up the album nicely and offers another side to the “pop-punk” outfit, showing they have more range than the average pop-punk band.
Reprise features some big gang vocals which help to bring the album to a nice rounded off close.
The album is a giddy mix of excited tunes and melodic acoustic sweets. It’s definitely a pop punk album, but the good end of what can often be a bland genre. The guitars drive the tracks along, which makes for a toe-tapping experience and the range of tracks show this band can offer more than what’s on the tin.
7/10
