Think of the northern UK punk scene, and the cities of Leeds, Sheffield, and Manchester probably spring to mind. With ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’, Stuck Between Stories are likely to open some ears to what’s going on in Wigan, a town familiar to many as the birthplace of Northern Soul.
‘The Death Of Routine’, with its rapid drumming, multiple vocals, and passages of New Found Glory riffing initially suggests a fun and straight up pop-punk album. However ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ soon evolves into something much more unique and interesting as a host of other influences quickly start to emerge.
‘Same Old Story’ makes excellent use of vocal harmonies and backing vocal woahs, and ‘Curtain Will Fall’ possesses an infectious bounce and catchy chorus, but both feel more like modern rock songs with pop-punk flourishes than the other way around. ‘This Is Goodbye’, on the other hand, finds emo and post-hardcore influences coming through strongly. It signals another upturn in quality as the vocals become more passionate and the guitars take on a slightly harder edge for the first time.
The ease at which Stuck Between Stories seamlessly blend different styles and the quality of the resulting songs demonstrates their song writing skill and talent and the sharing of vocal duties between all three members helps keep things feeling fresh and varied. Despite this, one or two songs miss the mark. ‘Dance The Night Away’ has much in common with the rockier songs on the album but the guitar-driven verses and flat chorus fail to engage. ‘Radio’ on the other hand makes good use of a punchy riff and acoustic bridge but is let down by its bland lyrics.
Thankfully there’s still a great feeling of coherence to the album, and the crowning moment has to be ‘Koma’. What begins as a simple pairing of acoustic guitar and vocals skilfully adds piano and strings to the mix, before the full band bursts in, leading to a triumphant and uplifting conclusion. ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ then comes full circle and ends with yet another blast of pop-punk in the form of the energetic ‘The Art Of Letting Go’.
If Stuck Between Stories had produced an album that was purely pop-punk from start to finish, that in itself would have been no bad thing. But this release has benefited immensely from some extra imagination and originality. Stuck Between Stations have already come a long way from their days as a covers band, and with a debut album this good they’re sure to go even further.
CHRIS HILSON