ALBUM REVIEW: "Shapeshifter" by Knuckle Puck

October has been a great month for music so far, as further evidenced by this second LP from Knuckle Puck, Shapeshifter. The first thing I need to mention is the production - Shapeshifter sounds damn fine. The guitars in particular are on point; crunchy, warm and transparent. There is a dynamic contrast to these songs that could easily have been lost (and often is on a lot of pop-punk records) at the hands of another producer. Knuckle Puck's brand of pop-punk coloured with healthy helpings of emo is incredibly endearing to me, and lead single "Double Helix" is a great example of the catchy sing-alongs with shades of melancholy the band have a knack for producing consistently. My main gripe is to do with the lack of contrast or development, something most pop-punk fans won't even consider while they eat this up. Don't get me wrong, pretty much all of these tracks will make their way easily onto my summer playlists, but as a body of work these songs seemed to bleed together sometimes. Having said this, at a bit over 30 minutes it certainly doesn't outstay its welcome and this lack of development isn't nearly as apparent as it would have been were the album 45 minutes long, and well and truly satisfies what I wanted from this new album.

Favourite Songs: Double Helix, Gone, Everybody Lies To Me and Conduit

Least Favourite Song: Stuck In Our Ways

Rating: A

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1 YEAR LATER: "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

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