Pop punk as a genre has been around in some form ever since the late ‘70s, with countless bands coming and going from scene to scene over the years. Most bands have a limited frame of reference - normally to their current period, or sometimes to a previous one if nostalgia is their game. Very rarely you get a band made up of members that have seen a vast majority of the genre’s history, and are able to learn from all of it and channel it into a unique and vibrant sound. Enter US quintet Further North and their new single “Russian Roulette”. Further North are a band who just want to tug your heartstrings while they deliver some of the catchiest pop punk you’ll hear today. And by “Further North”, they must mean in the north of their state because they’re actually from one of the more southern ones - Texas. Straight from the off, “Russian Roulette” bursts with wide-eyed optimism for the future, immediately grabbing the ears with a familiar-sounding guitar passage before the vocals kick in. It feels like the best of the early ‘00s era of pop punk mixed with the urgency and impact of newer acts like State Champs and Stand Atlantic.
This continues until a pre-chorus designed for a crowd singalong, then the chorus hits with the kind of bounce reserved for only the best summer rock festivals. Lyrically the song deals with overcoming addiction, and finding the means to power through in the darkest of times. This is common territory for many lyricists, but Further North aren’t going through the motions with the subject matter. They approach the topic with the exact amount of delicacy needed, whilst not avoiding the downsides and hardships associated. The production is crisp, with enough elements to sound fresh and vibrant without losing the raw punk edge needed for a track like this. The addition of some modern hip hop and trap influences is a welcome one, even though other bands have been using these types of sounds for a while now. The guitars are well recorded and mixed, and the vocalist has just enough whine to his voice to stop it from sounding too safe. Sonically this band is punching up there with the best of Texas’ pop punk heavyweights like Bowling For Soup and Waterparks. Further North claim to be emblematic of “sad dad-core”, however this song makes me joyful as it proves that their are still bands out there that wear their hearts on their sleeves and make no apologies for being who they are. And in this day and age, that is a very welcome thing.
Words by Oscar Manners.
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