Pop Punk Veterans State Champs Solidify Their Identity on Self-Titled Record
Written by Astrid Kutos
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
Photo courtesy of Manuel Barajas
Formed back in 2010, State Champs have long been one of the big names in pop-punk, with records like The Finer Things and Living Proof. Over a decade into their career, the band has released their fifth, eponymous album. Fitting for a self-titled record, State Champs feels like a refined version of their previous albums, perfecting their signature sound. As they put it in an interview with Kerrang!, it’s “[them] and the best version of [them].” While not taking huge creative strides, the Albany foursome showcases their experience and distinct take on the genre with newfound maturity and confidence. This record gives you the impression that they know exactly who they are and are eager to prove it.
The record starts strong with “The Constant,” a fun, catchy pop-punk jam setting the tone for the album. This leads nicely into “Silver Cloud,” one of the singles released in the lead-up to the record. It’s an upbeat track calling for a return to simpler times, while staying optimistic—“standing under a silver cloud / but I don’t feel it raining now.”
“Clueless” adds another lighthearted, humorously self-deprecating love song to their repertoire, capturing the jitters of crushing and turning into an idiot around the person you like. It feels like classic old pop punk, made to blast in your car on the way to school. Jumping straight to break-ups, “Light Blue” initially slows the tempo, before ramping up in the chorus. One of my favorites, the slower verses allow the listener to breathe while maintaining the record's momentum.
“Too Late to Say” brings some introspection to the album, with vocalist Derek DiScanio asking ‘Is it too late to say/I was always afraid?’ While it stays musically energetic, the lyrics portray a refreshing vulnerability. The mood picks up again on “Hell of It,” another personal highlight. Despite its more muted start, the chorus (“Why don’t we try for the hell of it?”) is practically made to sing along to. With its catchiness and heartfelt, uplifting nature, it promises to become a pop punk staple.
While “Hell of It” might incline you to call an ex, “Sobering” is enough to discourage the impulse. Nostalgia is traded for resentment with biting lyrics, declaring “the thought of you is falling down a trapdoor, nails along the chalkboard”. Similar to “Too Late To Say,” “Sobering” showcases a more somber side, despite the still energetic chorus.
One of the more serious songs quickly makes way for perhaps the most fun, danceable of the lot. Fast-paced, upbeat, and catchy, “Tight Grip” is one of the songs I’m most excited to hear live. With this unadulterated pop-punk track, State Champs nail the jumping around, mosh pit, summer feeling we know and love them for.
Around the midway mark, the album becomes a bit muddled, with fewer stand-out tracks. “I Still Want To” is a great pop-punk song but gets a bit lost in this album. Even “Save Face Story,” despite a feature from German funk-metal band Slope and a fun bridge, did not stick with me as much as other tracks. However, the album remains strong overall, both musically and lyrically. In between fun, lighthearted songs, there are some moments of genuine vulnerability. On “Just A Dream,” an introspective break-up song, a scaled-back chorus punctuates the lyrics, ‘Took some long lonely nights/To see myself in new light,’ referencing the changes in ourselves a breakup can reveal to us.
The album goes out on a high with “Golden Years,” one of the most exciting tracks on this record. Ryan Scott Graham joins Derek DiScanio on vocals, and the harmonies work beautifully. The song touches on wanting to return to the past, a theme recurring throughout the album, but pushes for moving toward the future instead of giving in to nostalgia: “Putting the past up on a shelf/And falling in love with something else.”
State Champs is a confident offering from an experienced band that, 14 years in, seems to be at the top of their game. By doing what they know best, combining everything that made people fall in love with their previous music, and elevating it, they have given us what promises to be a pop-punk classic in the making.