Review Summary: Another Pure Noise Records success story
State Champs are a 5 piece pop-punk band from Albany, New York and have become one of the best new talents in the scene. With 2 successful EP’s already under their belt, the natural step was to record a debut full length for their ever expanding fan base. Obvious comparisons with label mates The Story So Far can be made, but this is only really evident on first song ‘Elevated’. The rest of the record they are able distance themselves from the rest of the pack.
The first thing you will notice about this band is that the man behind the microphone is very talented. This is evident in songs like ‘Hard to Please’ and ‘Simple Existence’. Derek Discanio is very solid on each and every song on the record with his highlight being the very good closer ‘Easy Enough’. Another standout is ‘Nothing’s Wrong’ which has the best chorus on the record. Two songs from their earlier EP ‘Overslept’ ‘Critical’ and ‘Remedy’ are not really any different from their original forms, just some better production is added. The production of this album is very good. All instruments are noticeable and can be heard clearly when you listen for them.
Instrumentally these guys are very competent. The bass is actually the highlight of one of the songs. The opening of ‘Prepare to Be Noticed’ opens up with a bass solo and the bass continues to add a very nice feel to the rest of the song. The guitars are good for the genre, but they are nothing amazing, but they do their job with some riffs in songs like ‘Hard to Please’ and ‘Simple Existence’. The melody in the guitars is very catchy and they add a unique catchiness to each song. The drumming is good, but is average for the genre. The best fill comes in ‘Critical’ one of the songs taken from earlier EP ‘Overslept’. The best part of this album is just its overall energy and catchiness. As that is what all pop-punk is about. The album doesn’t really let up during its 35 minute run time.
State Champs overwhelming quality is their ability to create a catchy and fun pop-punk tune. The album is overall very solid with no real weak songs. The only song that could come close to that category would be ‘Deadly Conversation’ although the song is good; it seems a bit forgettable compared to the rest of the songs on the album. A criticism of this band could be a bit of similarity to each song, the vocalist although good doesn’t change his singing formula much throughout the album. The guitar is consistent, but doesn’t offer much variety to the listener, but this doesn’t matter as much as this is such a fun album.
State Champs have crafted a very solid, consistent and fun album for their energetic fan base. This is a very welcome addition to any pop-punk fan’s collection and just goes to show that Pure Noise Records are doing a great job in signing some very young and promising acts that will certainly be around the scene for years to come.
As l wrote this review before the official release date, here is the official stream of the album.
http://www.rocksound.tv/features/article/state-champs-stream?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&a mp;utm_campaign=rocksound
