Brigades are the latest band to come bursting out of the pop-punk underground. Boasting more of a post-hardcore vibe, rather than a straight up polished pop punk sound really sets Brigades apart from the rest of the pack. Signed to Pure Noise Records, home of bands like The Story So Far, Brigades suddenly find themselves in pole position for the pop punk crown.

Opening track ‘Indefinite’ will instantly have any pop punk fan hooked. The mix of pop punk sensibilities and post-hardcore level complexity makes this more than your average The Story So Far rip-off we are used to in 2015. The song ebbs and flows its way through loud, almost anthemic parts into lower heartfelt sections with ease. The muffled spoken word intro combined with thunderous drums make this sound more like an 2000s emo record than anything pop punk has seen in the last 10 years.

‘Knife Dance’ kicks in twice as hard, a huge hardcore drum beat and guttural heartfelt vocal delivery married perfectly with luscious guitar leads. The clever mix of clean and dirty vocals is impressive, Brigades seem capable of changing the whole tone of a song within the the space of a verse. Whilst the familiar pop punk lyrics about loves lost are here in earnest, no two songs sound overly similar. It feels as though a real focus has been placed on the instrumental parts, each and every note serves a real purpose and provides a slightly more mature pop punk sound that will appeal to a whole host of listeners.

At points ‘Indefinite’ reminds me of short lived Transit side project Misser, the lead guitars and dual vocals carry in much the same way, and it is truly a winning formula. This is no better example of this than on the chorus of ’The Difference’, perhaps the “catchiest” song on the album, it is a perfect slice of post-hardcore/pop punk that completely sums up what Brigades are aiming for on this record.

This record provides a great break from the countless similar pop punk bands out there. Brigades have really put their own slant on the genre and mixed their influences startlingly well. The true energy and singalong power of pop punk is here, but so are huge soaring leads and heavy riffs. A winning combination in anyone’s book, be sure to check this album out before they blow up.

4/5

‘Indefinite’ by Brigades is out now on Pure Noise Records

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Words by Andy McGonigle (@andyjmcg87)