Album Rating: 7.4/10
Pop punk sucks. Like, it really sucks. Gone are the days where bands like New Found Glory and Taking Back Sunday ran the scene with lovable creativity and innovation. Granted, there are a few bands such as Neck Deep, Movements, and The Wonder Years who still manage to bring fresh air to a genre that has become extremely stale, but the genre needs more. The fans need more. Which brings me to Trash Boat. The boys from the UK are no longer newcomers to the scene, with their first album Nothing I Could Write You gaining them an international following. However, the album left much to be desired as I found their sound to be borderline unstable and lacking consistency. The vocals seemed to be held back by the upbeat pop-like instrumentals and their lyrics, while dealing with personal battles from vocalist Tobi Duncan’s life, seemed too whiny to really resonate with me. As the release of their sophomore album approached, I myself felt unsure of what I would be getting. Thankfully, Trash Boat have nailed down not only a solid sound, but a confident and mature one that allows them to reach their potential. Whereas the previous album went for pop, Crown Shyness shows the punk side of pop punk with Duncan embracing his aggressive vocal style of screaming while putting a little raspy touch on the choruses almost reminiscent of early Alexisonfire. This change is also embraced by the rest of the band as they incorporate pounding drums and thrashing guitar work to bring some really interesting breakdowns that pull their hardcore roots to the forefront. The album hits the ground running with “Inside Out’ and “Shade” setting the pace of breakneck speed until the album hits a little past the midway mark with its ballad style title track that resonate more as pumping the brakes then a soft showcasing of their versatility. Luckily, with such a short album the album picks up right after with the anthem “Silence” which propels listeners through the end of the album with the powerful emotion of “Love, Hate, React, Relate” that highlights all the best parts of Trash Boat. As I said above, Pop punk really sucks these days, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m not even saying that Crown Shyness is the album that will make the sinking ship float again. What I am saying is this: Trash Boat really explored themselves and their work and brought a level of maturity to the table that has been gone far too long in this scene, and if other bands are able to follow their example and reflect on using influences of their roots instead of creating direct copies there is still a chance for this genre and pop punk can thrive again.
Top 3 Songs: Shade, Old Soul, Controlled Burn
Bottom 3 Songs: Crown Shyness, Don’t Open Your Eyes, Undermine
New Music with Brady 