New York pop-punk band State Champs鈥� is one fans of the genre have heard before 鈥� a band musing about awkward interactions at parties, overthinking their romantic relationships and scorning the mundane. Across 12 tracks, the album is charming, but unchallenging.
Typically, when an artist chooses to name an album after themselves, they鈥檙e communicating something 鈥� that this is their most definitive work, the release they most identify with. In the case of State Champs, the album released 14 years into their career stays true to the angsty identity they established in their early music, while expressing a reluctance to branch into something more.
In a collective statement, the band described the record as embodying all of State Champs鈥� discography, and it鈥檚 true. The new album鈥檚 tracks could belong to their debut EP in 2010 or their last album, 2022鈥檚 鈥淜ings of the New Age.鈥� There鈥檚 something to be said for consistency, but overwhelmingly, their matured pop-punk coupled with risk aversion leans more into territory
A good example of this is the first song, 鈥淭he Constant,鈥� all peppy drums, sultry guitars and punctuating tambourines; it launches into an energy that is carried throughout the record. The instrumentals are edgy, but the lyrics are surface level. 鈥淒o you think I deserve this/Keeping me in the dark/While you got what you wanted," frontman Derek DiScanio sings.
He declares a similar thesis five songs in at 鈥淭oo Late to Say,鈥� over drum-heavy production: 鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a good thing coming/I turn around instead/I鈥檓 getting good at ignoring it."
Influences from iconic bands in the genre like All Time Low and are heard throughout. Lyrics are generic and universal, avoiding any real controversy. Even profanities are meticulously placed to be affectual and nonthreatening 鈥� even more reserved than what you鈥檇 find on an record.
Across the album, State Champs wrestle with self-doubt. It takes on a few forms. On 鈥淛ust a Dream鈥� and the closer 鈥淕olden Years,鈥� the band is stuck on the past, unsure of the future. 鈥�'Cause now it takes everything in me/Putting the past up on a shelf/And falling in love with something else,鈥� DiScanio sings on the latter track.
But there are standouts, like the palm-muted power chords of 鈥淐lueless,鈥� driving bass of 鈥淟ight Blue鈥� and the explosive, lovesick brooding and gang vocals of 鈥淪ave Face Story." They鈥檙e not reinventing the wheel here, but in those moments, their customariness works.
Overall, State Champ鈥檚 eponymous album colors comfortably within pop-punk鈥檚 lines, choosing familiarity over experimentation. It makes for a predictable but enjoyable album, evoking the image of a suburban house party or while practicing tricks at the skatepark.
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Rachel Hunt, The Associated Press
