State Champs, from upstate New York, are one of the hottest properties in pop-punk and the buzz behind their debut album is growing louder each day. ‘The Finer Things’, released on Pure Noise Records, is one of the most consistent albums we’ve heard in recent years and deserves every ounce of praise being heaped on it.
From opening track ‘Elevated’ through to album closer ‘Easy Enough’ we’re treated to high tempo, well-crafted and hugely infectious pop melodies throughout. It’s a relentless wave of quality and that’s rare for a debut album from a young band. ‘Hard To Please’, complete with ice hockey themed video, is a worthy first single here due to its huge element of fun over a simple yet effective tune. The same can be said for ‘Prepare To Be Noticed’, arguably the strongest track on the album, and that’s exactly what State Champs are about. It’s fun, it’s easy to follow and it’s incredibly catchy. Perhaps pop-punk purists will look for more variation over the course of this album but at least the Albany based band haven’t flooded ‘The Finer Things’ with clichéd ballads, dubstep inspired drops and screams like many opt for in 2013.
Whilst there’s nothing particularly impressive about the lyrical content here, frontman Derek Discanio belts out his words confidently. In pop-punk so much attention is paid to the vocals and the frontman, or increasingly the front woman, and State Champs have a likeable leader and someone kids can aspire to be.
We’re frequently reminded that ‘pop punk is not dead’ and whilst that’s certainly true, it has felt stale for quite some time. Several bands have attempted to be the saviour and, for my money, flattered to deceive. You can enjoy the likes of Man Overboard, The Story So Far and A Loss For Words but they’ve never quite reached the melodic highs of self-titled New Found Glory or ‘Save The World’ era Midtown. ‘The Finer Things’ by State Champs certainly pushes those standards and is deservingly contending for the best pop-punk album of 2013.
TOM BECK