Album Reviews

Canada’s The Riptides are back! And with the world going to hell in a handbasket, we can all use some excellent pop-punk now more than ever. And excellent this one most definitely is. Following up on 2017’s ‘Canadian Graffiti’ and making their Pirates Press debut, The Riptides still have all the hooks, riffs and choruses they need, while also showcasing a more serious side this time around. Yes, even pop-punks mature. 

With the likes of Kody Templeman (The Lillingtons/Teenage Bottlerocket), Darren Chewka (Teenage Bottlerocket), Joe King (The Queers), Mike Kennerty (All-American Rejects/Screeching Weasel) and Matt DeeCRACK from labelmates DeeCRACKS all pitching in, The Riptides have all the help they need to crank out an album’s worth of pop-punk goodness. Something that becomes obvious right from the get-go with the opening salvo of the high-energy ‘We Came To Destroy’, ‘Smile’ and the poppy in spite of its message ‘End Of The World’. Talk about being off to a great start.

And they don’t stop there. The short  blast that is ‘Cut It Out’ sounds like a recently unearthed Ramones song, ‘Anti-Social’ is the catchiest fuck you I’ve heard in a long time and ‘Fade To Black’ is reason enough to keep your ears glued to the speaker right until the end.

Burn After Listening tracklist:

1. We Came To Destroy
2. Smile
3. End of the World
4. Bad Habit
5. She’s the Most
6. Cut it Out
7. Anti-Social
8. My Heart’s Tattooed On My Sleeve
9. Do You Hear What I Hear?
10. Give Up
11. Lie To Me
12. Get Over You
13. The One Thing
14. Bottom Feeder
15. Fade To Black