The Promdates - Beer Run

When people say they can't stand pop-punk, my main thought is that they're just listening to the wrong bands. If you can put on the new Promdates album Beer Run and still be like, "Eh, no thanks!", I can conclusively say that you hate pop-punk. Because this is pretty much the ultimate pop-punk record. It's nothing but sing-along fun from start to finish. And in the grand tradition of European pop-punk, it freaking rocks! This is definitely on the bubblegum side of pop-punk (just where I like it!), but with totally ballsy guitars and vocals. In these songs, I can hear bits and pieces of so many bands I championed as a young brat back in the '90s: not just your classic Queers via the Ramones moves, but also the lovelorn majesty of the Parasites and the crunching power pop of fellow Norwegians the Yum Yums. I'm notoriously lukewarm on party anthems, but Promdates are speaking straight to my heart with a song called "Beer Run"! Now that is a party song I can fully endorse! From there, The Promdates traverse nearly every nook and cranny of the pop-punk genre. You've got sugar-coated three-chord slammers ("Substitute Teacher"), fierce snotty punkers ("I Hate You"), tearjerker love songs ("Hard To Say Goodbye"), spot-on Ramones rips ("Dammit!"), and tasty slices of bubblegum punk rock ("Do You Wanna Watch TV"). There's nothing about this album that is remotely new or original, and that is precisely why I love it. This is a pop-punk record in the classic style, executed at a ten-out-of-ten level of proficiency. These guys of course have the spirit of the genre down pat, but better yet they are masterfully skilled at writing catchy songs with irresistible hooks. The lyrics can be sappy at times, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Play Beer Run loud, and you will be forever reminded of a time in your life when you were young, perpetually pining over a certain girl or boy, and always chasing a good time. Get it from House Of Rock Records, Mom's Cellar Dwellers (Via Mom's Basement Records), and OUTLOUD! Records!



-L.R.

https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/beer-run 
https://www.facebook.com/thepromdatespunk/ 
https://www.facebook.com/MomsBasementRecords/ 
https://www.facebook.com/OUTLOUDrecords/ 
https://momsbasementrecords.bigcartel.com/