By Lauren Armao
Recommended Tracks: Stand Steady, Composure, Get By, Smiling On The Surface, Me First
Artists You May Like: Sleep On It, Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep
The first song on the newest edition to the Real Friends discography opens with, “I’m at best your second option,”. Lead singer Dan Lambton certainly isn’t talking about the band’s third studio album, “Composure”, which is out this Friday, July 13th and is an absolutely stellar follow-up to 2016’s “The Home Inside My Head”. Over the last five years, Real Friends have gone from being a (somewhat) hidden gem to a staple in the pop-punk community, earning them a well-deserved spot on Warped Tour’s main stage and catapulting them into scene stardom. The Chicago group’s dedicated fanbase has been patiently waiting for the record’s release ever since the first single, “Get By”, dropped in November of 2017, and the new album definitely does not disappoint.
A component of a great artist is their ability to progress over time without losing what made fans fall in love with them in the first place. It’s a component that’s evident from the first listen of “Composure”. The album is Real Friends at their most polished, yet it doesn’t sacrifice any of the band’s signature punk energy or beautifully crafted lyrics.
Prior to the album’s release, the band has dropped three singles: the first, “Get By”, in 2017, followed by “Smiling On The Surface” earlier in 2018 and “Unconditional Love” last week. This was a great trio of songs to release, as they capture the album’s sound perfectly. “Smiling On The Surface” is one of my personal favorite tracks on the record. It’s the essence of Real Friends: melodic hooks married to hard-hitting power chords, a signature standout vocal performance from Lambton, who delivers bittersweet lyrics tinged with both sadness and hope. I have no doubt it’ll become a Real Friends classic.
Another standout track is “Stand Steady”, a powerful track both sonically and lyrically that beautifully blends melodic sequences with hard-hitting riffs and drumbeats that collide to pack a punch. The title track, “Composure”, is another favorite of mine and is sure to be a crowd favorite, with verses that build up to a larger than life chorus that’ll have fans screaming along at every show. “Get By”, the first single off of the album, is just more proof that Real Friends definitely haven’t lost their outstanding writing chops, and “Me First” gives the album a strong start, exciting listeners for what’s to come in the 10 tracks ahead.
Overall, “Composure” is a fantastic listen that you’ll be pressing play on well after summer’s long gone. With a more mature sound that still captures the lively punk spirit of Real Friends, the album is everything I was hoping for and more. You can go check out the first three singles now, and give the full album a listen on Friday, July 13th. Be sure to catch them on the Journeys Right Foot stage at a Warped Tour date near you!
Follow Real Friends: Instagram // Twitter
Listen on Spotify
Real Friends is: Dan Lambton (vocals), Kyle Fasel (bass), Dave Knox (guitar), Brian Blake (drums), and Eric Haines (guitar).
