It’s getting harder and harder to tell pop-punk bands apart nowadays—even the British lot sound like their American counterparts. And although a lot of the bands in the scene are boring and generic as hell, there are a few that come along and make you want to be a stupid teenager again. Best Years are one of those bands.
The Manchester 5-piece are about to release their sophomore EP Drop Out, and are definitely the ones to watch. With their upbeat, summer melodies, catchy fun lyrics and general blissfulness, you’re bound to fall in love with the band…. or at least party to their cheerful tunes.
According to vocalist Joel Plews the title of the EP is “meant as an encouragement for people to drop out of boring routines and start afresh doing something they love, to chase their dreams.” The inspiration behind the EP explains why the 3-track release is as fun and chaotic as a wacky waving inflatable arm-failing tube man.
‘Overrated’ is an anthem of youth, an ode to stupidity if you will. The lyrics ‘You know you’ve only got a few more years of this shit, before everything goes wrong and reality hits?’ accurately sums up every 19/20-year olds life. The song’s short verses and repetitive lyrics make for an extremely catchy tune. The track features a classic, upbeat pop-punk melody, which paired with the, almost spoken, vocals, sounds almost Seaway-esque (another band who just exudes fun).
Tracks ‘Built To Last’ and ‘Back Then’ are just as upbeat and fun, and you can see the slight influences of modern pop punk bands like Seaway, The Story So Far and Man Overboard.
Drop Out is a fun, energetic pop punk EP. Is it groundbreaking? No, but what pop punk band is? Everything’s been done. At least Best Years know how to have fun and make tunes that people actually want to listen to. So if you’re not partying to this EP, you’re definitely not dropping out of your boring reality, and that’s a damn shame.
“We just want to be the band that puts a smile on people’s faces,” says vocalist Joel Plews. Mission accomplished boys.
