Review Summary: Just an infectious blend of pop punk
Call me biased and one-sided, but pop punk has always been more than a guilty pleasure. It has been a favorite genre of mine, and when I come across a new artist who labels themselves as such, I will most likely enjoy it. On top of that, I'll compare and see how what I'm listening to stacks up against its peers, its influences and its contemporaries. State Champs was a love at first listen experience on my end. This infectious flurry of pop punk with soaring hooks, above average vocals and competent instrumentation had me thinking, "Gosh, how is this NOT the next big thing?" Especially considering pop punk has seen a huge surplus of great bands since the turn of the decade. As the torch is passed into the next generation, the argument can be made that New York punk outfit State Champs are the right guys for the job.
What sets "The Finer Things" apart from their three EPs that proceeded it? That's easy. The first 3 EPs from this group were raw, contained previously untapped potential, and "The Finer Things" lives and breathes potential realized. It could just be a trend, but I notice a lot of punk bands put what I believe is the best song as the track that opens the album. In this case, "Elevated" opens the album and remains my favorite off this record. The powering vocals from frontman Derek DiScanio are just a treat and the riffs? The riffs are probably the highlight. Not just for the song, but for the whole album. The riffs aren't anything like these cheesy riffs that plague a lot of cookie cutter Warped Tour bands. Nothing fancy, but nothing simplistic either. Captivating instrumentation that moves each track along with enough flourish and fluidity, you won't know you're well into the album and haven't skipped a single track yet.
Then you really get into the meat of it and you see this band is on the cusp of being a very wanted commodity among recent Warped acts who went from zero to hero seemingly overnight. Their 2014 stint on the Kia Soul stage could go down as the springboard for when Kevin Lyman inevitably invites them back for a run on the main stage. Tracks such as "Hard to Please" open with an alluringly great flurry of solid drumming from Evan Ambrosio, with the very capable DiScanio's consistent vocal register, and lo and behold, the album runs like a well oiled machine. "Prepare to be Noticed" comes a bit out of left field, but to its merit, goes back to its roots with the hard hitting riffs and up tempo vocals. That, along with "Over the Line" flirt with a more melodic approach.
Have I done a good job trying to convince you? I know I sound a bit like a businessman in the sense I can't stop highlighting what makes "The Finer Things" such a riveting release, but I'd be lying if I said otherwise. For fans of the genre, a must have and for novices, a good first impression. It's just a matter of time before their discography is selling extremely well at your local record store and State Champs are the figurative and literal champions of their cause.
