Album Review
The Story So Far - The Story So Far
4 StarsWith their third album, The Story So Far continue to lead the charge for their niche.
Pop-punk sometimes struggles with a bad reputation, one of a dead genre desperately clinging on with a string of near-identical bands shouting about pizza and skateboarding over the sound of a few perpetually cycling chords. The Story So Far at once embrace this stereotype and turn it on its head, they know exactly what pop-punk fans want and give them ten times more. Every line is memorable, frontman Parker Cannon’s crisp, clean vocals ringing out over fast-paced, gritty riffs with all the passion and assurance of past outings. Grappling with the nuances of generic pop-punk are other aspects though, additional timid licks weave in and out of the driving core rhythms, over-laying vocal harmonies swell and fade while the lyricism itself is stronger than ever, genuine emotion wrestling with the aggression and gut of Cannon’s frontman persona. It’s these subtle contentions of the curse of the pop-punk label that afford The Story So Far not only their position as the kings of the genre but the crossover appeal to keep a genre in turmoil alive and kicking.
The Story So Far’s greatest asset is their ability to create choruses where there are none. Their self-titled third album jumps around chaotically from verse to verse each with a different tempo, melody and rhythm, so much so that the record is rarely settled enough for something as normal as the repetition of a chorus. Yet somehow, every verse is a chorus. So contagious is every one of Parker Cannon’s screams and shouts that it takes little more than a couple of listens to tracks like lead single ‘Solo’ and ‘How You Are’ before verses become sing-along moments. The increased quality of production on this record only increases this effect, vocals are clearer than ever and pushed more to the forefront with a well-earned confidence while the swirling and overlapping of riffs and chords remains just ordered enough for rhythm and purpose.
The pace of ‘The Story So Far’ is relentless, racing around wildly, retaining a chopping and changing yet always rapid speed for its majority. In the form of ‘Phantom’ though everything screeches fleetingly to a halt as The Story So Far showcase their rarely seen tender side. As is generally the way in pop-punk The Story So Far are a band who wear their heart on their sleeve but always in the form a loud, aggressive cries of emotion rather than in slower, more affectionate numbers. The delicate harmonies and twinkling guitars of ‘Phantom’ are quickly shaken off though, as if in a brief moment of weakness there is almost an air embarrassment as the Californian rebels hurry back to the chugging riffs and energetic howls of ‘Scowl’ like a child caught momentarily crying in the playground.
With their third album The Story So Far continue to lead the charge for their niche, their ability to keep things sounding fresh and new after years as a staple of the genre holding them not only in high regard within the scene but beyond it. The Story So Far are at the forefront for pop-punk’s continued relevance in a cynical world and do so with a carefree thrash of guitars and shouts to the rafters. With The Story So Far continuing to write unapologetic good time bangers, pop punk is very much alive.
Latest News
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The Story So Far announce self-titled album, stream new track ‘Nerve’
New single was leaked by the band themselves earlier this weekend.
15th March 2015, 12:00am
The Story So Far Added To A Day To Remember Shows
Having released their latest album 'What You Don’t See' earlier this year, the five-piece will be returning to the UK next year.
22nd October 2013, 2:34pm
Featuring SOFT PLAY, Corinne Bailey Rae, 86TVs, English Teacher and more!