SOUND BITES

  Stefan Babcock has always been very good at chronicling the worst of situations, addressing failures, dread and anguish while painting the blackest clouds in bright, broad strokes. It's as though acknowledging all the negativity surrounding us with a wink and a smirk might somehow lessen its impact, presenting the idea that it's possible to defiantly hold a light to the darkness even while admitting that it's probably all for naught. Over the course of their near decade of recorded history, this common thread has been woven through their songs and their aesthetic. Titling their fourth record The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND , then, implies that it's getting harder to keep it together, that the career PUP have forged is on the blink of collapse just like our entire world; it's brought up throughout the record, with the piano-led Four Chords interludes referencing the band as a "board of directors" and Babcock pondering switching professions in a couple of ye...

One of the most endearing, enjoyable moments on PUP's excellent 2016 album The Dream is Over was the fiery single If This Tour Doesn't Kill You I Will ; over a rollicking, jagged musical backdrop, Stefan Babcock despaired about his bandmates and the tensions that come from spending long hours in a cramped space with sweaty dudes on tour. It was as funny as it was biting, and its dramatization of trivial problems helped establish PUP as one of the most exciting young bands of the decade. On Morbid Stuff , the focus shifts to the internal, addressing Babcock's mental health and the pitfalls of growing older in these harsh modern times. Musically, the band is maturing as well, drifting away from the punkier tendencies of their previous releases in favour of ragged indie flair, though they do prove by times that they're still willing to throw down, such as on the incendiary Full Blown Meltdown . However, even the most melodic moments on Morbid Stuff are plenty ener...

Informed by personal and professional hardship (singer/guitarist Stefan Babcock was diagnosed with a hemorrhaging cyst in his throat after extensive touring for the group's debut), The Dream Is Over is littered with doubt, anxiety and insecurity. However, what trumps it all on this record is the determination to persevere and the manic energy in the music that delivers this message. What could have easily been a hopeless journey becomes a statement of affirmation, an elbow to the chest of despondency and a raw triumph of a sophomore record. May 27, 2016 • Royal Mountain Highlights If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will • DVP • My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier