State Champs - Living Proof (June 15, 2018) Album • Page 9

So I went through a weird thing where I discovered State Champs through a few songs on ATWAB and decided to check them out, listened fully to The Finer Things and thought it was sick. Went back to going through ATWAB and didn't think it was quite as good as The Finer Things. Gonna go through this now and see how I feel.

 

I thought OCL was a step up from Gospel. You should give that a try if Gospel wasn’t your speed.

 

Okay I know I was harsh on this like two hours ago but I just drove around and played some of it in my car and it got exponentially better so... I still don't think they've topped their first album but this is probably as good as their last one.

 

oh yea I forgot to report back here, I had finished it


Super fun, I'll have to go back to their other two to fully gauge but I think it's in-between, better than last album and under their first.

 

I never knew people liked TFT so much. I thought it was promising but nothing more. To me they’ve gotten significantly better with each album

 

It had been awhile since I'd listened to either, just went back to both and actually I'm not sure now, I'm liking ATWAB more than I did back then I think. So yea, not sure about rankings lol, I might slightly prefer TFT still? But all are solid to me.

 

I feel like Our Time To Go is practically todays Only One by Yellowcard. It’s a very good song with a huge chorus.

I still get Fireworks vibes in some songs too. Mainly in some quirky guitar parts (like in the verses of Something About You) and some vocal melodies. It’s a wonderful thing.

 

Man, I just went back and listened to Only One for the first time in a while. That chorus and song is in another stratosphere. Holy crap.

I do get the point you’re trying to make though.

 

Yeah I do enjoy this, I guess TFT was just more my kind of music. Glad to see this album is a bit more consistent than their last one though which heavily dropped off halfway through.

 

Frozen... wow. I'm obsessed.

I'm loving this so far.

 

Uh, I wasn't excited at all for this until y'all started making Gospel comparisons. That's my favorite album from this decade. It's hard to believe based on the singles though.

 

Yah. The singles don’t give me any vibe I care for. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

the gospel comparisons are a little misguided if not being totally misinterpreted

the album's best tracks haven't been released yet (outside of the whole thing being leaked duh)

 

This is their Life’s Not Out To Get You.

For reference, LNOTGY is my favorite album of all time.

 

We went from Fireworks to Neck Deep.

 

I should emphasize Living Proof doesn’t sound like Fireworks. Its the instrumentation and melodies in some songs that reminds me of Gospel. There are quirky and poppy riffs in some Living Proof songs that are reminiscent of Fireworks, which gives me the same vibe and a want to keep returning to it.

As for the albums consistency, Living Proof is up there with Gospel as a whole in the pop punk genre. IMO, Gospel is the GOAT of this decades pop punk genre. For me, there hasn’t been a consistent or as strong pop punk album like Gospel. Living Proof just might be that. We shall see with time, but right now I’m loving the shit out of it.

 

What if this is their Sticks & Stones OR Catalyst? Hahah.

I only say that bc Neck Deep said LNOTGY is their Sticks & Stones when it came out.

 

S/T > Sticks & Stones > Catalyst

LNOTGY > TPATP > Wishful Thinking

LP > Finer Things > ATWAB

 

They’re the easiest frame of reference for me considering they’re at about the same level now. That, and I was never a Fireworks fan.

 

Wowza. You must really love that album. I personally can think of several that are better (in my opinion). Yellowcard's Southern Air being one of them right off the bat.

 

There are dozens of us.

 

I have terrible memories tied to SA. Plus it just never really held up for me in the long run. Personally, I think WYTT and Lift A Sail are better.

The only other pop punk album from this decade that could contend with Gospel is maybe The Greatest Generation by The Wonder Years. But I still go back to Gospel at the end of the day.

 

Seriously though, Gospel is, in my opinion, one of the most critically underrated pop punk albums. The only thing I can equate to it is Closure In Moscow's First Temple on the post hardcore side of things. Both albums should've blown the bands up, but bands like TWY and Chiodos blew up instead. I know these are two separate worlds, but it makes sense in my head.

 

Well fuck, now I miss Fireworks

 

3 years away from a 10 year Gospel tour.