Knuckle Puck was one of the bands that I discovered during my pop-punk phase that have managed to stay on my radar despite that phase being over. Their earlier releases were more marked with aggressive instrumentals and raw, angsty vocals that were more yelling than singing, which was appealing to someone who was dealing with a lot of emotions. With their first album, Copacetic, and their sophomore release, Shapeshifter, the band has focused more on a structured, melodic sound that is still full of the angst and aggression of their beginning days.
What's great to hear about this band is that they've found the vibe that they like, and they've continued with each release to tighten and hone their skills and chops to make even better music in that same vein. Shapeshifter continues to showcase their pop-punk core with a fantastic balance of vulnerability with pent-up anger through the instrumentals and the vocals.
Joe Taylor is part of what sets the band apart in terms of a unique sound. He can balance the almost screaming/yelling with softer melodic moments, on different tracks and even on the same song, utilizing contrast (which, if you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know I am a big fan of).
The first half of the album keeps the energy and intensity high. The album opens with "Nervous Passenger", a shorter track that builds into a bit of a wall of sound near the end. The tempo is a bit slower than what they normally, which is cool in the way that it sets the tone for the album. It catches your attention before things kick into higher gear and fueling that teenage angst we all hold deep inside.
"Twist" comes next, more familiar ground for Knuckle Puck as they pick up the speed and intensity. The drums are really sharp on this track, with John Siorek providing a consistent foundation for the rest of the band to show off their pop-punk sound. The band has always leaned more toward the punk than the pop (see State Champs as an example of the opposite sound), and this song shows that tendency.
"Double Helix" was one of the singles leading into the album, and was one that caught my attention very quickly. While "Twist" felt a bit lighter, more like a song you'd jump along to and rock out with, "Double Helix" is feels a bit more serious, a bit more angsty. Look at the chorus; it's almost all more screaming/yelling than singing, as Taylor and rhythm guitarist/back-up vocalist Nick Casasanto go back and forth with:
"Take take oh please just take it back
I don't want your double helix"
I confess that I had to look up what a double helix is, and when I did the song seemed to make a bit more sense. A double helix is related to DNA, with Dictionary.com saying it is "the spiral arrangement of the two complementary strands of DNA". So perhaps Taylor is singing to someone who he once was one with and no longer is, but is trying to move past the memories and frozen moments of the past that linger. Lines like this make that idea more clear:
"Cause the viewpoint never changes
When they're stuck inside a memory"
or
"Swallowed up in hatred while the surgery replaces who you areAnother time, another face to let go"
It was not an easy relationship to let go, or even still is difficult to move past. And using that concept, which is common in biochemistry, to relate to a relationship, shows some intricate and well researched songwriting, which I very much appreciate. (Upon further research, it seems that Taylor was actually talking about his dad and wishing he wasn't related to him. Hence the DNA references.)
Next is "Gone", which was another single leading up to the album. Musically it has a similar vibe to "Double Helix", leaning a bit more towards melodic on the chorus but close in terms of energy and intensity. The bridge takes the song down a notch before slowly building into the final chorus that ends in an almost breakdown that holds the intensity high. It's
"Everyone Lies To Me" plays a lot with contrast, using moments of high energy and intensity with more melodic and strung out musical elements all together. The first verse features some of the roughest vocals on the album, while the second features some of the most melodic vocals on the album. It's a cool use of opposites and opposing elements to create dissonance within a song that deals with people being dishonest, which is itself a dissonance in real life. The bridge features some cool instrumental moments, letting different instruments have the spotlight for a few moments and passing the baton to the next one.
"Stuck In Our Ways" leans more melodically than the last song, still having that edgy sense to it but lighter than some of the other songs on the album so far. It's got less yelling, with Taylor giving some great melodies over a instrumental that drives forward. It's a solid song that will get stuck in your head and provide great material to rock out to.
From this point, the album shifts into a more slowed down, mellow gear; but don't think it'll be music you fall asleep to. "Want Me Around" was the last of the singles before the album, and stood out for a couple of reasons. It slows down quite a bit, leaning almost entirely on the pop side of pop-punk. The rhythm guitar, which is usually leading the instrumentals, is hardly distorted and in the background, giving the spotlight to the lead guitar. The drums are also fairly subdued, pulling back from the usual intensity found throughout the rest of the album. The focus is on the vocals, with Taylor giving some grit to his voice but keeping it mostly melodic throughout.
"Conduit" continues the more melodic, toned down vibe of "Want Me Around" even more, starting off very stripped down and quiet. Taylor sings over the lead guitar and a little keyboard line that are somewhat hollow, leaving room for the vocals to resonate and stand out. The song continues in this manner, slowly building into a climax where the intensity increases without compromising the vulnerable sense of the song. "Wait" begins on the softer side as well on the first verse, but shifts to a bit of a gritter tone on the chorus. It's not aggressive, however; instead, the grit comes in play through a wistful, almost regretful tone that is evident through the lyrics and vocals. The line at the end of the chorus,
"You always did feel just like home"
really stuck out to me, as I think it's something most people can relate to at one point or another when thinking of a past relationship. The follow up line in the bridge,
"You were always so unreachable"
takes any sort of pleasantry out of the nostalgia in the first line, bringing reality crashing down.
The album finishes with "Plastic Brains", which starts off slower and gradually builds into a wall of sound that ends the album on a high and intense note. There's some subtle female vocals on this song, which offer a bit of contrast as the female vocalist has a soft, gentle voice compared to Taylor's usual yelling and strained singing. The line "is there any trace left of me" echoes throughout the ending, as the song is fading away, giving one last thought for the listener before the end.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the album. In comparison to their debut, Copacetic, this album felt like the band took their talents and sounds and fine tuned them even more. There was a sense of precision evident throughout, as well as stronger songwriting and contrasting instrumental elements. The talent that this band has is clear, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow with future releases.
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended: "Double Helix", "Gone", "Stuck In Our Ways", "Wait"
Related: State Champs, Neck Deep, Real Friends
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