Recommended Tracks: Our Time To Go, Lightning, Crystal Ball, Safe Haven
Artists You May Like: All Time Low, We The Kings, The Maine, Mayday Parade
State Champs are back at it again with their third album, Living Proof, and proving that they are here to stay. This record is a beautiful blend of what these hockey-loving New York boys learned from creating their previous two albums. Living Proof has all of the gritty pop-punk that made their first record, The Finer Things with all of the clean sounds and growth from Around the World and Back. These guys blew up from the beginning and are consistently putting out solid music. They are paving a great path to follow in the footsteps of some household names.
Released on Saturday, June 16, Living Proof brought all of the sad lyrics about love and breakups and put them to the catchiest tunes. Lead single “Dead and Gone” gave a perfect preview of what was to come from this record. The group chants in this song scream classic pop-punk, while the writing has taken a mature step forward without sacrificing the absolute want to head bang to it.
Several other favorites for me on this record was the jam “Lightning” about the spark in the beginning stages of a relationship and “Safe Haven” about finding solace in another person, but I just couldn’t help but sing along to.
This record is pretty much filled with love and breakup songs, but the stand out is the single “Our Time To Go” that talks about taking chances and not waiting around for a sign. It’s catchy as cooties and I love the message in it. It’s honestly a needed break from the constant talking about relationships – which is my only complaint about the album.
When you first start out, talking about love and relationships is an easy way to connect with fans; it’s something everyone has gone through. There comes a time, however, where you need to start telling stories and start branching out lyrically. State Champs are coming close to the end of that grace period. They have the fanbase, they create absolute jams, and they put on a heck of a live show. It’s time to start seeing that talent reflected in their lyrics if they want to keep up with their competitors and keep their fans interested.
Overall, I think Living Proof is a perfect record to play in the summer with your windows rolled down. So many catchy choruses, head bangers, and just pure, great pop-punk music throughout. My only concern, is the longevity of their style of writing. I’m hoping to see some real growth lyric-wise in their upcoming records to match the levels of music, talent, and live performances that they already give.
You catch State Champs all summer long on the final Vans Warped Tour.
You can stream Living Proof now on Spotify and Apple Music.
You can also purchase it via the band’s website here.
Keep up with State Champs on their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
