Album per day: Day 14

Artist: Neck Deep

Album: Wishful Thinking

Released: 2014

Pop punk has nary been touched upon over in our fair country. When we celebrate said genre, we focus on the American heavyweights such as Blink-182, Green Day, New Found Glory and The Offspring, and other upcoming acts from the USA such as A Day To Remember. With all that, it's refreshing that with all of the cries of "pop punk will never die!", Neck Deep are proof that the industry is still spouting bands that fall into this genre.

Opening song Losing Teeth breaks you in nicely with tasty riffs that bring that sweet air of summer around, and Staircase Wit allows frontman Ben Barlow to let his guitarists shine for a minute with some heavy power chord work. Barlow can be a little guilty of overdoing his vocals, and I'm hoping later in the record that the instrumentalists can take centre stage with some big breakdowns or solos. Meanwhile, Damsel In Distress mixes it up with more intricate guitar work, and Zoltar Speaks is the circle pit song of the album: pure unadulterated punk energy.

Picking up from where Zoltar Speaks left off, Growing Pains is a bit more anthemic with its relatable lyrics about your typical heartbreak, but delivered with ferocious pace and a tight groove. Mileage, for some reason, calls to mind the sort of stuff that Simple Plan would release if they were a bit more daring. There is a slight frustration though as the song ends, as I find myself wondering how much more they could have added if they included more instrumental moments. Sweet Nothings shines brightly amongst a group that hasn't really disappointed me (much), but it's easily the most infectious song on the album, showcasing how much talents these boys possess. The soaring melodies of Blank Pages make for pleasant listening, and then BAM! You're crushed under the pummelling rhythms and angry lyrics once again. Final track Candour is definitely an anomaly, but it's beautiful all the same. It shows these guys can rally an army, but they can also weather a storm. Easily the best song on the album.

Another album I've enjoyed, and another strong major debut effort. Despite the insistence from Ben Barlow to sing like an American, and opportunities missed by not allowing the musicians to showcase their obvious talents a bit more, Wishful Thinking is a strong record; not the finished article, but strong. If you're a fan of A Day To Remember's more pop punk over metalcore moments, then this may be the new band for you. I look forward to seeing how far these boys go in an industry that is starting to welcome pop punk back with open arms, but I would also be interested in seeing how far they go across the pond. Can British pop punk invade the USA? I certainly hope so.

Rating: 7.5/10

Recommended tracks: Sweet Nothings, Candour 

Album per day: Day 3

Artist: A Day To Remember
Album: Homesick
Released: 2009

There is usually a large gap between pop punk and metalcore, but what's in between all that? The correct answer is A Day To Remember. Listening to their third studio album, I would never think that A Day To Remember had any pop punk tendencies at all. Bar a couple of tracks, Homesick is laden with a barrage of palm muted riffs and growled vocals from Jeremy McKinnon. When he sings clean vocals, there are times, such as on You Already Know What You Are, where I can't help but hear Brendan Urie from Panic! At The Disco.
In keeping with their policy of mixing pop punk hooks with modern metal breakdowns, Homesick, as mentioned before, leans towards the latter. However, there are plenty of poppier moments on the album for the more casual listener to sink their teeth into. Kicking off with The Downfall Of Us All, the vocals resonate with the powerful backing provided by the band, and if you watch any live footage of the band, the crowd are usually singing the main vocal line of this song long before the band take to the stage; I was lucky to be a part of this at Leeds Festival last year. I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? is another belter, and tends to be a staple of the live set nowadays, and contains arguably my favourite guitar riff of the record. My favourite song of the lot though has to be Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End, which lifts the listener to heavenly heights during the chorus, but pummels during the verses, therefore finding the perfect blend of the two genres mentioned many times in this review.  There are times when I find myself hearing traces of Slipknot in this album, with the heavy blasts of sound and the switches between growled and clean vocals. A prime example of 'knot influence can be found on Welcome To The Family.
On their most recent record Common Courtesy, it is clear that the band are maturing nicely, and if they carry on this upwards trajectory, they may very well find themselves headlining all of the festivals they have graced their presence with. Criticising this record could see me on the receiving end of some harsh words from my girlfriend, but I think the only thing I can say is that there are times when I find myself thinking that one song sounds just like the rest of them. Yes, some songs are stronger than others, but this is a fan favourite of an album, and I can clearly see why.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended songs: Downfall Of Us All, Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End