With the surge of pop punk bands that have made their presence known in the past five years, it can be hard to break through the countless amounts of bands utilizing this sound in their music.
It can be difficult, but not for the Southern California pop punk quartet The New Varsity.
The New Varsity, hailing from Claremont, California, draws major influence from the late 90s’/early 00s’ pop punk and pairs it with the harder hitting, more aggressive version of the genre that has become prevalent within the past few years.
Their new EP, Reflections, is the perfect example of the sound they have crafted for their listeners.
The album starts out with an introduction track, although the lyrics may sound like another pop punk song about fatigue and giving up, the song picks up with a double time beat and upbeat guitar riffs.
The sound that The New Varsity delivers can be best described as an equally portioned mix of the bands Rufio and The Story So Far. The music is fast, upbeat and paired with male vocals in the higher vocal register, but also deals with darker topics including anxiety, quarter life crises, and relationships gone sour.
The album not only contains excellent songwriting, but also high quality audio production. The mix sounds amazing and it’s hard to find anything wrong with the final result.
Overall, The New Varsity has delivered a pretty solid release, not only for their scene and their fan base, but for the community of pop punk as well. The New Varsity definitely stands out with their latest EP and sets high expectations for similar bands to follow.
4/5 stars
This post is courtesy of Matthew Saunders
What do you think of this year’s lineup? Comment below.
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