State Champs - 'Common Sense'
The second coming of the pop punk renaissance is upon us, and State Champs are running at the forefront.
After a chaotic and extremely busy year, due to the release of their self-titled album, State Champs have taken the small layovers in between touring to continue to hammer away at the forge. This relentless grind has led to quite possibly the most impressive phase of the band’s career yet. State champs have successfully tapped into the dark eyeshadow and skinny jean-wearing sound. of the early 2000s pop punk with soaring success, they use this blend of new and improved recording software and technology and raw, brutal sound to fill the gap between nostalgia and revolution. The catchy guitar riffs and exhilarating drum beat open the first verse on a steady wave of impressive and in-the-pocket action for the vocals to expand upon. This instrumental is then improved upon infinitely by the vocal tracking of Derek DiScanio, which takes the crunchy and harsh sound of the riffs and mixes layers of vocals reminiscent of the kings of early emo to tie it all together.
This track is a standout for guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. he creates perfect differentiation between each part of the song and truly understands how the flow of sound in regards to the band inside and out. This ability to discern each section creates a brilliant alternating composition of melodies that cascade perfectly into each other and evidently draw the border between verse, chorus and bridge. Upon the first time listening, you hear hints of bands like Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy and The Story So Far. This blend of new and old guard grows deeper every single time you revisit the track and creates a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience that you can come back to again and again.
When talking about the stylistic alterations and the distinct place within the discography that this song takes, the band stated, “Common Sense brings out a slightly darker and heavier side to us while keeping the Champ’s integrity strong. Lyrically, it’s about completely investing yourself in someone while also being naive to the fact that you never had anything in common to begin with.” T his is very blatant in both sound and soul as State Champs often use a pluckier and slightly brighter group of chord progressions; however, this time they've bent and broken the rules of major keys to create a darker element that complements their fast and electric style while still conveying their desired message.
State Champs hit the road across the UK with the ever eclectic Don Broco; these shows are undoubtedly going to be barnstormers as audiences all over the island are going to be subject to all manner of chaos and thrill that I will anxiously anticipate until they come around. With the help of various other excellent standouts, State Champs are slowly but surely starting their own pop punk renaissance, and I cannot wait to see what happens.
Words by Josh Pook
