Living Proof - State Champs free essay sample

State Champs have quickly become one of the key players in the pop-punk revival happening now. â€Å"Living Proof,† the latest release from the Albany, NY, rock band further secures State Champs’ place as a mainstay in the new pop-punk scene – even if the record is pretty typical pop-punk. But typical pop-punk is by no means a bad thing; far from it, in fact. The highlight of this album is the passion that Derek DiScanio brings with his voice on every track. An unexpected favorite on the record is â€Å"Time Machine.† This song takes a slower approach and is not quite as pop-punk as most of the other tracks. However, this allows DiScanio’s voice to be the focus, and the passion and emotion that he brings to the track makes it a standout. The feature of Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus is great as well. The lead single from the album, â€Å"Dead and Gone,† is reminiscent of All Time Low and is another one of the best tracks on the album. We will write a custom essay sample on Living Proof State Champs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The chorus is big and catchy and features some excellent guitar work by lead guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. I really appreciate the use of more mellow picking on the verses, as it offers a nice reprieve from the usual palm-muted power chords that are so prevalent in pop-punk music. Unfortunately, I found many of the tracks blending into one another due to their similarities. This does not mean that the songs are bad, it just means that the album as a whole can get a bit repetitive, despite each song being very good. A strong suit of State Champs on this record is great choruses. The choruses are infectious and powerful, due in part to DiScanio’s strong vocal performance. â€Å"Living Proof† is a marked improvement over 2015’s â€Å"Around the World and Back,† It delivers strong choruses and excellent vocal work, despite getting repetitive after a full listen-through. State Champs keep improving with each release, and I am excited for any new music coming from them.