Neck Deep is one of those bands that I wasn’t super into when I first heard them. In fact, with full disclosure, their first album, Life’s Not Out to Get You, didn’t instantly hit me in the feels the way it did for others. And I read a lot of reviews, scratching my head, wondering if I was missing something. What was it about these guys that audiences loved and I just didn’t seem to pick up on? I didn’t lose much sleep over it, but I wondered about the group and why my ticket to the fan club just didn’t seem to want to come. I knew I was missing something – I just didn’t know what.
The Peace and the Panic Album CoverOver time, though, I listened to more of their songs and watched more of their performances online, and I really got to know the guys a little bit more and admired their dedication to their fans. In those moments of watching them with fans through coverage of Warped Tour and really listening to their lyrics (I’m a lyrics girl, first. Always), I found myself figuring it all out. And, yes, I guess you can say they grew on me. I found myself humming along and tapping my toes, and that’s when I felt it – these guys DID have something! Of course, I just wasn’t able to pick it up in one or two listening sessions. I needed more time, and I am super glad I gave myself that time.
With their new album out today, The Peace and the Panic, I only needed one listen-through to know that this album was going to sit alongside some of my favorite albums of the year. The title seems fitting for today’s political climate, so I was all too happy to hit PLAY and see where this audible journey took me. And it took me all over the place!
To start, “Motion Sickness,” is an incredible, upbeat song with those slightly angst-filled lyrics that fans of the band can appreciate. It’s motivating and driving and moves the listener right into the rest of the album. Ben Barlow has all of the makings of a pop punk great, and I absolutely cannot say enough about how strong his vocal performance is on this entire album – he definitely brings it from open to close.
“Happy Judgement Day” brings those politics I was waiting for right to the forefront – but in a way that I think will make audiences think. The opening lyric, “Oh what a time to be alive; wake up and smell the dynamite” is one of my new favorite lines and explains how many feel in our modern day state of things. The optimism of “Motion Sickness” is completely erased in “Happy Judgement Day.” The guitars and drums just take the song on a new trajectory with a few pace changes, and Ben’s lyrics just sit right on top of them, bringing the listener on a journey of potential doom and gloom, all while making it seem so appealing.
Moving into classic pop punk and alt rock territory, the tracks “The Grand Delusion,” “In Bloom,” and “Parachute” bring listeners back into the emo-laden, angst-filled, dare I say hopelessly romantic vibes that hearken back to early Simple Plan and bands of that era. Those happen to be some of the bands that laid the soundtrack to my early adulthood, so I was jamming along like it was no one’s business. There’s a familiarity in those songs that I think fans of all ages will appreciate. And in this case, the familiarity is not a bad thing.
“Don’t Wait” with Sam Carter felt like it wanted to be stronger than it was, bigger than it sounded, but it just felt like the rest of the album. Sam Carter is, as always, killer on vocals. But, this song didn’t do it for me like I had hoped. No worries – the rest of the album definitely made up for it!
The next track, “Critical Mistake” made me laugh and nod my head in agreement. Since, we have all been there, right? We’ve all been guilty of making a mistake in a lapse of judgment and having someone take our intentions the wrong way (or, we have been the one with the intentions that are misread). Either way, lyrically, this tells a familiar story, and to be honest, it’s one of my favorites instrumentally as well on the album.
Tracks eight and nine, “Wish You Were Here” and “Heavy Lies,” respectively, seem a bit experimental in nature. From a slower, emotionally heavy “Wish You Were Here” to a pop-infused, guitar-driven “Heavy Lies,” both songs sound like Neck Deep is looking to take things into a new direction. I wouldn’t say softer, necessarily (since I prefer “December” if we’re talking softer, acoustic-driven Neck Deep tracks), but it feels new. They aren’t the driving pop punk from some of the earlier tracks, but they definitely have a place of their own. Make up your own mind on those ones, friends.
I really like “19 Seventy Sumthin’” because it tells the story of a family starting and surviving against all odds and living life in the aftermath of loss. And that’s a story that many of us have either lived or are at least acquainted with. Sadly, we know now it was written as an homage to his father who passed late last year. Lyrically, it’s a beautiful song that tells a simple story filled with complex emotions, and it’s, for me, a standout on the album.
The closer, “Where Do We Go When We Go,” starts out with a children’s choir singing about getting one up on life before it kills them, and I have to admit, I liked that touch. Another lyrically smart, instrumentally driving song that lets Ben Barlow lay his emotions on his sleeve, this track is the perfect way to end an album that plays across a wide range of emotions. I have to hand it to them – Neck Deep provided more than an album here, folks. They gave us a ticket to a trip through a myriad of life’s pitfalls and pratfalls, as well as celebrations and accomplishments.
Straight out of Wales, Ben Barlow, Fil Thorpe-Evans, Dani Washington, Matt West, and Sam Bowden have put out an album that encompasses many of the emotions and goings-on in the lives of their core group of listeners. From trying to remain upbeat in the face of uncertainty and panic to moving on after the fizzling of an almost-romance to life after loss, there really does seem to be something for everyone inside the liner notes of this album. Do yourselves a favor and hop on over to Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon, or wherever you prefer to purchase music, and put your support where your wallet is with this one. Thank me later!
