Punchline

Pop-punk. There is no other way to classify this band, really. If you like pop-punk (the kind not directly influenced by the Ramones / Screeching Weasel / etc. al of course), there is a good chance you’ll like these guys.

On 37 Everywhere, Punchline find a fine line between the pop-punk rock 'n’ roll of the Loved Ones and the pure pop skatepunk of latter day No Use for a Name. What’s cool about Punchline is that they are a Fueled by Ramen pop-punk band without traces of their labelmates. You can actually understand every syllable the vocalists say, the vocals of which aren’t intolerably whiny. The record is clean, but it’s not too slick. All throughout 37 Everywhere, there is a tight sense of vocal harmony, with the band working with two active and unique backup vocalists, but it never gets overwhelming.

Lyrically, 37 Everywhere is pretty light-hearted, which, again, is refreshing from a Fueled by Ramen band. These guys aren’t convinced they’re some kind of modern poets, and nor are their fans. They’re honest, and their lyrics represent their music pretty well. It’s fun. Punchline can write a catchy chorus like no other pop-punk band around. Sure, it will probably be laced with cheese, but it’s not always a bad thing to be a little bit cheesy. Besides, I’d rather have songs like “Caller 10” or “The Fake, the Snake, and the Birthday Cake” than any overwrought junk that some Abercrombie and Fitch-core band churns out.

I say this with utmost respect for this band: These guys sound like one of the best local bands in America. They should tear through every tiny little VFW, every fire hall, every little basement, every youth center, and every crumby bar in America, with troves of fans in every shape and size that come to shows not because it is cool, but because they like the music. Kids who like the band not because they think they should, but because they do -- kids who actually have fun. I can’t imagine this band blowing up, and I really don’t think they should. With the kind of junk kids expect from big acts in this genre nowadays (theatrics, make-up, pyrotechnics, concept records), I don’t think this band could keep up. I also don’t think they would want to, which is good.

Highly recommended for fans of No Use for a Name, New Found Glory, Over It, the Loved Ones, and Drive-Thru Records.