Album Review
PUP – The Dream Is Over
4 StarsOn their second album, Canadians PUP prove their dark side isn’t solely inward-looking.
“I’m growing up and giving in,” sings PUP’s Stefan Babcock in ‘Can’t Win’, a statement that, based on the rest of the Canadians’ follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut, he probably doesn’t mean. Theirs is a tightly-wound coil of self-deprecation, wasted opportunity and bubbling-under garage punk. You’d harbour a guess their collective record collections (and recreational activities, for that matter) would match those of kindred spirits FIDLAR and Wavves.
Like their Californian peers, PUP have taken the Peter Pan mentality of ‘90s pop-punk (the childishness of Blink-182, the fuck-up lyrics of Green Day, plus a few guitar licks from ‘Blue’ album Weezer for good measure. While ‘The Dream Is Over’ doesn’t quite match the ebullient nature of last year’s ‘Too’ or ‘V’, there’s still much to fall for: the gang vocals in ‘My Life Is Over And I Couldn’t Be Happier’ are a joy, as is the “ooh” chorus of ‘DVP’. Closer ‘Pine Point’ is also surprisingly sentimental, showing the dark side of PUP isn’t solely inward-looking.
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PUP return with new single ‘How to Live with Yourself’
They have also shared a second unreleased song 'Smoke Screen'.
8th June 2023, 2:32pm
PUP announce new album ‘THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND’
Check out new track ‘Robot Writes A Love Song’.
18th January 2022, 10:33am
PUP unleash two new songs
They've also announced a 2022 US and Canadian tour.
10th November 2021, 12:00am
PUP - This Place Sucks Ass
3-5 Stars
It feels like there’s never been a better time for a fresh injection of the Toronto punks’ spirit.
22nd October 2020, 7:57am
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.