Five albums deep into their career, Drug Church know not to fuck around by serving up a digestible melodic punk record in 28 minutes. With Patrick Kindlon’s distinct part-spoken, part-sung vocals at the forefront, ‘PRUDE’ sticks to a recipe that tells vivid tales of missing kids, drug-reliant cousins, and a mix of sardonic and emotional observations.

It’s held up by an almighty punchy sound that becomes a relentless force. Sometimes it comes from the thunderous rhymic pairing of bassist Pat Wynne, and drummer Chris Villeneuve, or from Nick Cogan and Cory Galusha’s textured and distorted guitars. Yet there are welcomed melodic moments. ‘Hey Listen’ rings out with melancholy guitars as Kindlon reminisces looking at a missing persons bulletin at a nearby Walmart. ‘Chow’ sees him share some wisdom as he advises ” Don’t break your neck, Jumping into people’s lives” against a rugged backdrop.

Furthermore, ‘Yankee Trails’ captures Kindlon’s emotional side, showing distress towards a cross-country drug-dependent friend. It’s paired with one of ‘PRUDE’s anthemic moments; “He says hey why don’t you Get yourself new trouble He says hey life is long Why not spend it fucked up”.

With a well-balanced mix of texture, density, and proven storytelling, ‘PRUDE ‘ neatly packages Drug Church‘s strength into a tight-knit ball of punk-driven and dulcet hardcore. Paired with attentive and empathetic songwriting, it’s a solid outing from the Albany, New York group.

‘PRUDE’ by Drug Church is out now on Pure Noise Records.