I’ve always had a major soft spot for Houston Calls because they play spritely pop-punk without any hidden pretense. It’s just what-you-see-is-what-you-get kinda stuff – they have chunky, bouncy riffs and very, very catchy choruses. They don’t try to re-invent the wheel and they know their limitations. You’ll therefore be pleased to know ‘The End of an Error’ continues this very good work and is as solid an album as the band have written. It’s catchy, melodic and full of singalongs, perfect traits for a pop-punk band.
‘Things Are Happening’ and ‘Life Won’t Wait’ are early songs that stick out. The band know how to write a catchy tune and each of the 12 songs here does exactly what you’d expect it to. ‘I Fancy Abroad’ and ‘Nagoya’ are both really good songs too. And as the album progresses so do the catchy songs as the bass-led ‘Abandone’ reminds us the band can write excellent pop-punk anthems. There are a couple of slightly ‘off’ moments. ‘Stay With Me Tonight’ is a bit schmaltzy and ‘You Can’t Simi’ sounds a bit like a Something Corporate b-side. But overall this hits the spot and if you like no frills pop-punk you will definitely love this album.