The Putz is one of those pop-punk bands that manages to be totally obvious about its influences while still infusing its music with its own style and personality. Much of that is owed to Billy Putz being such a likable vocalist. Even when he's singing not-so-nice things, he sounds like a guy you'd totally want to hang out with. And as a songwriter, he excels at writing three-chord pop songs that are catchy and totally fun to sing along with. I've always maintained that writing really good simple songs is one of the hardest things to do in music. It's only perceived as easy because bands like The Putz make it seem so effortless! On Rise and Shine, Billy Putz, guitarist Patrick McVay, and drummer Dougie Tangent flawlessly execute the fundamentals of great pop-punk. You won't hear a tighter trio in this genre of music. And when it comes to finding that sweet spot between pop and punk, these guys hit it bang-on. Rise and Shine is an absolute blast, and it comes out firing with one of the strongest 1-2-3 opening sequences I've heard on a pop-punk record in a while. "Cut the Shit" is snotty, high-spirited, and straight out of the early '90s Queers playbook. "She's a Brat" is upbeat and super poppy - always a winning formula in my book. "Laserblast" is The Putz doing what The Putz does best: making a fun sing-along out of putting some insufferable asshole in his place. But while this album does revisit the snotty theme on a couple of tracks ("Grow Up" is especially fantastic), I like that we encounter the many different moods of this band. "You're the Kind of Girl That I Like" shows the sweeter side of The Putz, while "Another Autumn" is tinged with longing and sadness. "Invitation Only" touches on the classic pop-punk themes of feeling uncool and unaccepted. The title track clocks in at over four and a half minutes (an eternity in pop-punk music!) and delivers a very serious message about making the most of your life. Closing number "All The Time In The World" is a sentimental love song that reaffirms my long-held contention that all great pop-punk can be traced back to Buddy Holly.
Rise and Shine is everything I could have wanted from a new Putz album. It doesn't try to fix what isn't broken. You know who the influences are, and you probably own all of their records. Yet at the same time, this album features a cool variety of songs and shows a definite progression from the band's earlier work. And beyond all else, it's just really damn good. You could say this album is a throwback to the heyday of pop-punk. But my hot take is that right now is the heyday of pop-punk. Get your mitts on Rise and Shine while supplies last!
-L.R.
https://theputz.bandcamp.com/album/rise-and-shine
https://eccentricpop.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-lp-the-putz-rise-and-shine
https://www.facebook.com/theputzrock/
https://www.facebook.com/OUTLOUDrecords
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