By: Hope Ankney
It’s a humid day in July. The heat of the sun and dust of the air swarms the park as kids upon kids scatter across the grass -some with sunburn peaking on their shoulders, others with canteens strapped to their mouths guzzling water as they hustle past crowds to reach another stage, to hear another set. Music is coming from speakers, loud, from every direction, chants and sing-a-longs dominating the airwaves. Sweat is soaking through the fabric on everyone’s back, cursing being murmured under breaths, long-lines winding around merch tents for a handful of signings occurring simultaneously. Tip jars and hand-scrawled signs feature witty commentary, most crew and bands meeting every fan with a smile or biting comment. It’s dusk, the last of the sun’s warmth lying down behind the horizon as the handful of groups left to perform take stage. The audience is audibly exhausted, it is screaming from every crevice of their being. The entire day has almost been insufferable -feet aching, ears ringing, hair-color bleeding. It’s 2012. It’s Van’s Warped Tour. It’s the mantra of the festival every year. But, the moment that one group steps foot in front of the crowd, the moment the bassline is felt in every fan’s chest, the moment the lead singer first breathes through the microphone, the moment the screams amplify as a familiar tune weaves through the guitar… It’s the moment every single complaint and fatigue drains from the body in turn for the music the audience has been waiting all day to hear. It’s the surge of happiness and pumping adrenaline of feeling alive that makes it all worth it. It’s what can’t be bottled up or explained about the absolute magic that the summer and the warped tour possesses.
It’s what Newcastle, pop-punk group Eat Your Heart Out embodies.
It’s what Newcastle, pop-punk group Eat Your Heart Out was able to capture in their debut record, Florescence via Fearless Records.
The first single from the album, “Carousel,” was the perfect seed that blossomed into Florescence’s general sound. What makes the group a refresher of pop-punk is how they seamlessly hodge-podged their grunge roots into the genre, turning the typical sound on its head. “Daydream” hits every formula for a catchy-hook, making one crave the nostalgia of early 2000’s rock, while “Constellations” focuses on one of the record’s shining qualities -Henry’s knack for structuring lyrics and themes that punch one in the gut. The track is gritty with grunge-undertones, peeling back the brashness of the record to settle into more vulnerable territory. “Spinning” crosses over into the same threshold, brightening from the grey that grunge can bring to much poppier riffs that makes the pop-punk world so inviting, offering more of Henry’s great lyricism both in thought and in hook.
“Heavy with Envy” amps up the record’s pace with a traditionally punk-tune that thrums and thrashes. Darker in disposition, it’s a slight mood shift in the rest of Florescence’s make-up, but it is still catchy enough to push on repeat. “Blinded” hits with booming drums and deeper instrumentals, but it’s the two tracks “Closer to the Sun” and “Pear Tree” that are obvious standouts to the rest of the album.
“Closer to the Sun” is a defiant anthem that spits fire and blows flame. Henry does nothing to bite her tongue regarding the lyrics, here, evoking the listener as she gets up in the face of the subject, breathing down its throat. The track is almost acidic, and it is one of the strongest powerhouses heard in the scene in 2019. “Pear Tree,” on the other hand, comes from the other end of the spectrum. Being an acoustically driven track, it is much rawer for the band, stripping themselves naked as Henry plucks around on a guitar, utilizing her cutting-board vocals to her advantage.
All in all, Eat Your Heart Out took a stance when they dropped their debut record Florescence. They came to prove a point and stand strong as a contender in the new era of what pop-punk is. Following in the footsteps of fellow group Stand Atlantic, Eat Your Heart Out is redefining and repainting the scene that has become almost stagnant. It’s groups like these that help kick back up the charming qualities that pop-punk possesses. And, with a debut as strong as this one, it’s more than exciting to see what all this fresh energy creates next.
