Releasing a debut album under newbie Melbourne label Greyscale Records, Sydney based pop-punkers Our Past Days have shown why they are one of Australia’s upcoming bands with album Keep Safe, a jammer of searing vocals, bouncing riffs and raw emotion.
Sydney based pop punkers Our Past Days have released their highly anticipated debut album Keep Safe.
Source: bluntmag.com.au
Having been on the local scene for quite some time and touring with the likes of The Story So Far and The Wonder Years, Our Past Days have built a huge fanbase around the country ahead of their highly anticipated debut release album Keep Safe.
With earworm single ‘Bloom Where You’re Planted’ released late last year, it was expected that Keep Safe would remain true to the punk-pop roots the band has come from. However, working with notable producer Jay Maas (Citizen, Defeater, Title Fight), the album effectively balances between punk, alternative rock and pop punk, crafting 11 bangers that are certain to be on Spotify rotation for punk pop fans.
Speaking to Blunt Magazine, vocalist Matt Doherty said:
“As a band we found the most important part of the writing process was being completely honest, whether that be through the lyrics, the music or just with one another, leaving everything we had in the studio is the only way we wanted to record.”
Album opener ‘Graves’ starts with brooding riffs before the raw, gruff vocals layer atop a blend of post-hardcore instrumentation. One has barely time to recover from the first track before a slap in the jaw from the opening guitar and drum of ‘Distance’, not lasting as long as it should with a sub-minute run time of punk-pop bodies bouncing off walls.
Stand out tracks of the album ‘Too Much, Too Soon’ and ‘Restless’ show a sense of direction for the band, with a mid paced tempo and emotionally rich lyrics that capture the depths of the growling vocals and songwriting skills. ‘Sleep & Stir’ is the only let down track of the album. Though it demonstrates the acoustic unplugged capabilities of the band, it seemed like a lost lullaby in the middle of an angst-driven album.
The latter part of the album resorts back to their punk-pop roots, with the jarring pace of ‘Split My Brain’ taken straight from the generic and cliched pop-punk books. But who am I to argue with the revitalisation of pop punk over the past couple years. ‘Daylight’, the concluding track, combines post-hardcore with rock though cracked screams that echo and power above heavy guitar riffs and relentless fury.
Our Past Days have experimented with a number of genres throughout the album, removing the cliche pop punk vibe that loyal fans might have been expecting. The five piece band have shown how far they have grown on the local scene and are destined to go up from here.
Check out their new music video for their single ‘Graves’ here.
