There’s no question about it; if you follow modern pop punk, you know what a massive influence Neck Deep has had on the scene for the past decade. Ever since they made Life’s Not Out To Get You, one of the best pop punk albums of the 2010s (dare I say, of all time?), the British rockers have been a prominent staple in pop punk history. Even with the bar set so high, they continued to stack their catalog with upbeat anthems to blast from your car speakers with the windows down.

Unfortunately, with the release of their self-titled fifth album (Hopeless Records), Neck Deep’s streak of having the catchiest and most memorable singalong hooks is fading. That’s not to say there aren’t any on this album, but they are few and far between—as opposed to their last three records that are chock-full of them. As a band known to make merch with the phrase “Generic Pop Punk” displayed under their name, it’s no secret that it was never Neck Deep’s goal to be particularly original. However, when your pop punk peers are thriving through testing the genre’s limits, and you’ve resorted to dollar store versions of your past hits, it might be time to switch up the formula a bit.

It seems Neck Deep became so confident in their status that they made an album that is pop punk solely for the purpose of being pop punk—but simply having high-energy vocals and fast distorted guitars doesn’t automatically make a song catchy or fun to listen to. Tracks like “Sort Yourself Out”, “This Is All My Fault”, and “Go Outside!” have moments of potential that are wasted by directionless melodies with awkward flow.
Despite the fillers, they did succeed in making strong opening and closing tracks.

“Dumbstruck Dumbf**k” feels like classic Neck Deep—punchy pop punk with witty rhyme schemes and a hook that has you turning up the volume and shouting along before finishing the first listen. “Moody Weirdo” is a whole vibe of its own with its dreamy guitars and straightforward drift of lyrics like “Ride your own wave, soak up the rain, make way for the hurricane” that hits the eardrums like an aural massage.

“They May Not Mean To (But They Do)” is another saving grace for the album. After being starved for standout riffs, guitarist Sam Bowden unexpectedly rips the best Neck Deep solo to date. Tied together with a simple yet effective chorus and clever lyrical variations of the hook, this one is sure proof that the band can still write bangers. 

While I was already convinced that Neck Deep’s best work is behind them, I am hopeful that whatever they put out next will be more polished, and a tad more adventurous. Sticking to your roots can be a beautiful thing—just be careful not to wring yourself dry of it.

Buy the album here:
https://neckdeepuk.bandcamp.com/album/neck-deep

6 / 10
COLLEEN KANOWSKY