REVIEW: NECK DEEP – ‘ALL DISTORTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL’; PRAISE FOR A NEW TAKE ON “CLASSIC” POP PUNK

Pop-punk powerhouses Neck Deep are back, and you better believe that they’re better than ever! 

Following the release of their singles “Low Life”, “When You Know”, “Fall”, “I Revolve (Around You)”, and “Sick Joke”, The Welsh quintet, made up of Ben Barlow (vocals), Matt West (guitar), Sam Bowden (guitar), Seb Barlow (bass), and Dani Washington (drums),  are set to release their fourth full-length album, All Distortions are Intentional to the public this Friday! If you’re a fan of pop punk; this may very well be your favorite album release of 2020- hands down. This release is exactly what we needed. 

This twelve track album has a bit more of a personal feel than what we’ve seen from their previous 2017 release The Peace and the Panic, where we get more of a conceptual feel rather than a societal commentary. The album helps us paint an immersive picture of self-reflection using a storytelling approach that is original to the pop-punk genre, building a whole world around a protagonist, their life, and the decisions that come with it.  It holds up a mirror to what so many young people entering adulthood experience when it comes to the concepts and themes of relationships with not just others, but the grasp of our existential thoughts and understanding who we are as individuals. While many people consider pop-punk to stereotypically have an angsty adolescent appeal, Neck Deep has thrown a very fresh and mature twist on a classic genre while managing to be as relatable as ever. In a way, it’s as if their music is growing up with us and truly aging like fine wine. 

The overall sound of the upcoming release, which also features a beautiful acoustic track with an “Indie-pop” flare and a very interesting (and cool) interlude, is definitely more pop influenced than what we’ve seen from the band in earlier releases. It features very catchy, strong hooks that will guarantee to be stuck in your head for days, with the album also flowing and tying together naturally and every track being a perfectly executed fit. The tracks are ones that would be killer to do the staple “pop punk finger point” to at shows when they (hopefully) return soon,  as well as fun as hell to be singing along to in the car with your friends driving down the interstate. 

Although we have a crisp, mainstream type of feel as far as the overall production quality goes, the band still manages to simultaneously capture the essence of that authentic old school 2000’s pop punk sound we all know while having a refreshing originality both lyrically and instrumentally. Coupling this with Barlow’s distinctive vocals, it makes way for the perfect combination and an album that is the opposite of a let down. 

Neck Deep’s All Distortions are Intentional will be available on all streaming platforms this Friday, July 24th!