A new album release from Small Steps brings out a vivacious and colorful but edgy pop-punk and alternative rock soundscape that also blends elements of grunge and so much more into the mix throughout the record and it's all delivered with a very particular kind of character that you end up getting attached to right from the start.
The Breakthroughs / Breakdowns album comes through with a massive sonic presence and the guitar tone alone is sort of fierce in a way, but it has a heart to it and this sticks throughout the record and gives you some insight into the honesty that it portrays if you really listen.
The blend of these sorts of animated and colorful vocals with such a deep and heavy guitar tone and slamming drums does indeed deliver a great punk rock aesthetic and it has a great way of blending old school and new school approaches as well, so certain tracks feel very nostalgic to me having grown up with a lot of punk rock myself, but you also get some refreshing tracts as well.
This is a mix of thrash and skate punk with pop punk, and it does indeed bring in those alternative rock aspects as well especially guitar-wise and there's a lot to love about the whole thing but for me it's this real energy that they have throughout the songs that give it that extra push.
It's almost like this record was recorded live on the floor and all the players were just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time which gives the album an electric and raw brightness and edginess.
Of course, I could be totally wrong about the whole live on the floor thing but either way, listening to this record certainly makes you want to see them perform it live in your face simply because, if the energy is captured this well on record, then seeing them live must be awesome.
Throughout the record you get classic crew backing vocals, riffs that stick around in your head for hours after songs have ended, and you get a little tired just listening to the drummer do his thing.
This album was a total blast and that energy and heart never let up even for a second which is something that I absolutely adore about this record because that's part of capturing a classic punk approach.
You can clearly tell this was done by a group of people who have a real love for their craft and when I say that I don't just mean playing guitar or drums, bass, or singing, I mean writing songs together and putting them out to the world.
A lot of these songs are indeed honest, and relatable, and show an intense presence that's completely undeniable.
This is also the kind of record that you listen to from beginning to end and not just one or two songs because again, in classic punk rock style, this track is eight songs long and spans about 23 minutes in time.
Absolutely perfect.
By the second listen you'll be singing along with your fists in the air.
I will certainly be keeping a close eye out for whatever these guys put out next and if you are a fan of thriving punk rock music then you should probably do the same.
Check this record out as soon as you can and turn it up because the louder it goes the more fun it is and remember where you heard it first.