State Champs Continue To Rule The Genre With New ‘Self-Titled’ Record

Albany hometown heroes State Champs have returned with their fifth full-length record, which is self-titled. This marks their first album since 2022’s ‘Kings of the New Age’. This album dives into a lot of what makes this band special and just underscores all of their strengths, and then some. They return in full force with some catchy, fiery bangers that are meant to be earworms for the coming months.

The record starts with a banger off the rip, with “The Constant”. It gives such an old school pop-punk vibe that it feels right to start this album off. You can just imagine skating to this kind of music, and it sets the tone so well. The bass by Ryan Scott Graham stands out right off the bat too, so that’s always pretty neat. The bridge with his and vocalist Derek Discanio‘s vocals mixed in with the melodies go so incredibly well together, it’s always a treat seeing Ryan‘s vocals integrated in so seamlessly. The record keeps the vibe going with one of the first two singles from the record, with “Silver Cloud”. It really continues the catchy as fuck trend going, especially with that chorus being as smooth as it is. I also appreciate the slight cowbell we get during the verses from drummer Evan Ambrosio, I’m always a sucker for those little details. A lyric that stuck out to me as I first heard it was “I’m not in my heart, I’m in my head”. It’s such a simple, but elegant lyric that speaks volumes and feels as relatable as they’ve always been throughout their discography. They may not go upside down with lyrics, but it’s always nice to see them feel consistent throughout their records. We keep the vibe alive with a more throwback feeling kind of track, with “Clueless”. This one immediately gives off early 2000’s type of sound, and I can easily picture this being in some raunchy teen comedy from back then. It’s quite a bouncy kind of song, and definitely on the more playful side when it comes to the lyrics. The bass once again shines here from Ryan, and it just shows how talented each of their singular members are. Like the guitar from Tyler Szalkowski is also quite impressive on this one, especially on that solo. We close out the first third of this record with the third single from the record, with “Light Blue”. This is probably my least favorite out of the singles, but it’s still a jam regardless. It fills a bit of a void that Seaway left with this kind of sound. The guitar tone is great on this one, and it really is a testament to how good this band is at tackling this type of sound within the genre.

We’re followed up with another of the first two singles, with “Too Late to Say”. This one is incredibly solid all around, and it just feels nostalgic to listen to as it gives me such late 2000’s vibes (especially the chorus here). The drums by Evan feel like one of the more impressive tracks on the record, and it shows how complex his parts can be the more you listen. The same goes for Ryan‘s backup vocals, it just goes to show those little tweaks and details placed can make such a difference in full. We get the most pop-rock vibes on the next track, being “Hell of It”. It’s probably the closest to being the ballad on the record, but it still has a kick to it. This kind of sound works great for them, it’s a sound that reminds me of the Taylor Acorn record from this year. Derek just has a voice that fits for a more intimate type of song, and it shows especially during the chorus where it feels so fully stadium-like. The solo by Tyler also fits really well on this track, I just wish this had one more chorus to end it since I definitely could’ve kept going. We get a similar pop-rock type of vibe on this next song similar to Good Charlotte, with “Sobering”. It’s a more simple type of sound for them, but it fits and it breaks up the sound of the album in a nice way to have a little variety. I can imagine walking to this song during a sunny day in my neighborhood, just has that vibe to it. The bridge is great, I love how the second chorus transitions to it really well and Derek gets to show off his range a bit. The backup vocals at the end feel so nostalgic to a different era for this genre and I really appreciated it. We then get one of my favorite tracks on the record, with “Tight Grip”. This one feels so 2010’s and right up their alley, that I could tell from first listen that this’ll be a fan favorite. It also feels like a shoe in for future live sets if they wanna incorporate songs from this record going forward. The chorus feels so well paced with it’s melodies and delivery, and it’ll be so much fun to scream these lyrics (preferably during the summer of course). 

We’re on the final third of the record, starting off with “I Still Want To”. We continue the vibe of the last track pretty well, and the guitar work here actually really reminds me of old The Story So Far for some reason. It gives off such head nodding type of vibes, and the bass line during the bridge was a nice moment for Ryan to shine. This is yet another highlight from the record, and we suddenly get what’ll be a legendary five run track from this record. We continue that trend with what feels the most familiar sound wise for this band, with “Just a Dream”. The guitar at the start of this track really gives me such “Easy Enough” vibes, and I instantly get transported back to 2014. It mixes old and new for this band in a great way, and it makes for one of the better songs off the record. And that punk ass beat on the second verse just shows this band is yet again here to stay with their roots intact. I just love we build up each chorus for it to hit harder each time it comes, that bridge too like damn. We reach the penultimate track with possibly the best song on this album, with “Save Face Story”. This track hits such a sweet spot for me melody wise when it comes to this band, that it instantly clicked for me and got better throughout. I’m so glad they made this a single the week the album dropped, because it deserves people’s attention and to be played at their live shows going forward. The chorus here is a pure example of a singalong from this band, maybe the most on this album. Slope‘s feature during the bridge gives this song so much push that makes it THE song of the album, it leading to a breakdown and giving off such Turnstile and Set Your Goals vibes. Like the pits opening during this song will give bands on their respective tours a run for their money, insane track. We reach the end of the record with a brighter kind of track, with “Golden Years”. It feels more classic to the genre and it really gives me such Cartel vibes, which I’ll never complain about. I just wanna shoutout just how crisp the production has been, it makes all these songs feel so polished in the best way that brings out the best in this band. It feels like such a fitting end to the record and obviously ends on a high note. Also I really love Derek and Ryan‘s back and forth vocals during the bridge, that’s the shit I’ll always be here for.

Five albums in, State Champs continue to be at the top of their genre with unreal melodies and forever jammers with this self-titled album. They show exactly why they’re a permanent force in this scene and how good they are at this shit, with four talented musicians with something to prove each time it comes back around. If you’re a fan of this band or of the genre as a whole, you’re bound to connect with this record and have it spinning until summer comes.