Review Summary: Around The World and Back again
I would like to preface this whole shebang by getting that sentence inside your head out of the way first; yes, this is yet another State Champs album. That includes all the bells and whistles and caveats you associate with such a thing. The whole record is filled to the brim with summery vibes, huge choruses, and polished-till-it-shines-brighter-than-the-sun production. Derek DiScanio continues to be one of the best vocalists currently operating in the genre. His New York nasal sneer carries most of this album head and shoulders above anything else. However, if you were actually expecting State Champs to really shake things up and do something completely wild, let me be the first to tell you you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
The standout tracks make themselves known right at the start of the album, kicking off a 1-2-3 punch of some of the most tightly performed and catchy pop punk of the year. “Criminal” shows off Derek’s vocal chops and ear for melodies that get stuck inside your head instantly. The way he croons the line “So what’s it mean when every dream I have is about you now?” is pure ear candy. “Frozen” starts off with a super bright and bouncy guitar riff that drives the entire song, lending itself to one of the best choruses on the entire project. Drums are as punchy as ever, and follow the melodies to a T. “Crystal Ball” is a ‘little column A, little column B’ scenario, showcasing both the sunny instrumentation and vocal prowess that represent the best that
Living Proof has to offer.
Beyond that though, there are quite a few flaws to have quarrel with on this album. The obvious one being John Feldmann. “Dead and Gone”, the lead single, was filled with plenty of woah ohs and stylistic choices that scream “This is a formula that works, please listen to our generic pop punk music!” Gratefully, the Feldmann has only graced 4 or so tracks with his presence, sparing the others to let State Champs play a little more to their strengths and create something truly interesting to listen to. The second issue, though, is that the previous sentence is not always the case.
Living Proof feels like more of
Around The World and Back part 2 in some areas rather than a new, inventive record. “Our Time to Go”, “Something About You”; these tracks feel more like a retread of ideas than the other ones on the album. “Time Machine” presents the most musically different instrumentation than any other song featured on the record, but something about it doesn’t feel like it stands out more than the tracks around it. Perhaps the style isn’t really their strong suit, or Mark Hoppus’ feature was not the best performance vocally. Either way,
Living Proof could definitely serve to stand out more than its predecessor and try to feature more bright and bouncy songs like “Frozen”.
Now, I don’t hate this record. All accusations of generic instrumentation and production aside, State Champs still know how to play their infectious brand of pop punk and play it well. The choruses are gigantic, the melodies scream summer, and I can definitely see it being the anthem to many a teenager these next three months. After this though, State Champs has a choice. They can either create a masterpiece of an album, something on the level of
The Finer Things, or they can continue down the road of mediocrity. Only time will tell on that one.
