After a thankfully brief period where it seems like the pop punk genre has been populated by lesser bands hitting the charts with a more pop focused version of the genre, it’s bands like WSTR (from Liverpool, UK) that can get things back on track to what it actually means to be successfully classed as being a pop punk band. To put it it simply their debut album ‘Red, Green or Inbetween’ is absolutely great fun, incredibly authentic and true to the heart of pop punk.
I grew up with bands like New Found Glory, Greenday, Sum 41 and more of the staple bands of the scene and when a band like WSTR comes along and delivers on every aspect that I love, it’s fully revived my passion for what pop punk can offer.
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Guitar (electric, acoustic and bass) riffs are focused on creating catchy hooks, meaningful moments, an air guitar inspiring energy and filled with moments of intricate crafting that populate the songs giving them a great deal of depth, structure and replay value. The delivery of the vocals take inspiration and recall memories from the greats of the genre whilst also being identifiable as their own individual voices. Of course none of this would work without the driving rhythm of the drums which highlight an ability to punctuate the brilliantly heavy moments alongside the more subtle elements that increase the scope of each song.
As an album itself, it starts out strong and maintains this strength right through until the very end. In an album that consists of 11 songs and 33 minutes, there’s a pressure for a release to make every second count and here it’s accomplished with ease. Every aspect comes across with a great level of confidence, energy, humour and showcases WSTR as a band that know what they want to do and clearly love every part of it.
For more on WSTR and purchasing the album check out the links below:
