Let’s start from the beginning.
About two or so years ago I started getting emails from a young south coast pop-punk band looking to make waves in the UK scene. They were super friendly and very nice and polite and desperate to make an impression. Their songs were good but not great but their enthusiasm and energy really stuck out for me. Ultimately songs make or break a band but I’ll always want to help a band who works hard, plays with a smile on their face and is grateful for any help they manage to get. So every time the band would record a new song they’d send me it and ask for my opinions and every time they did you could see they were getting better and better. It was when they sent me a cover of a Phil Collins track that I knew they were a band to be reckoned with.
And then along came ‘Fight For This’. Now a few years ago I used to get giddy at all kinds of UK bands, proclaiming them the next big thing and over-hyping them to an inch of their life. I’d get a bit of stick in the forums for over-egging the pudding and eventually, over the years anyway, I’ve calmed myself down a bit. When was the last time you saw me give a record five out of five? (OK, it was Attack! Attack!’s album for those who want to know). Well you can add another record to the five-star alumni. Plain and simple, this is the best UK pop-punk record of the year. If Not Advised don’t shoot up in many people’s estimations on the back of this release, I’ll eat a hat.
Everything you expect from the perfect pop-punk release is on this record. Harmonies? Check. Choruses? Check. Singalongs? Check. If ‘A Red Light Situation’ is not the best pop song you’ll hear this summer I don’t know what is. To prove it’s no fluke ‘Right Now’ and the remaining three songs are equally as good too. It’s pretty much the perfect soundtrack to this year’s non-existant summer. Those in the know who have already heard this all love it. The band have started to get bigger support slots (although The Ataris tour was cancelled) and more and more people are getting to know the name. The success is richly deserved. ‘Fight For This’ is as good a record for the genre as any I’ve heard in such a long time.