NECK DEEP - NECK DEEP
Originating from Wales, the pop-punk outfit Neck Deep was established in 2012. The band lineup includes Ben Barlow as the vocalist, while Matt West and Sam Bowden take on guitar duties. Seb Barlow handles the bass, and Matt Powles brings the beats as the drummer. Their debut album, Wishful Thinking, hit the scene in 2014, succeeded by Life's Not Out to Get You in 2015 and The Peace and the Panic in 2017 gaining them mainstream popularity within the alternative community. Known for their high-octane live shows, universally resonant lyrics, and a fervent global following, Neck Deep continues to make a significant impact in the pop-punk music landscape with their newest, self-titled release.
When asked what the release meant to them, frontman, Ben Barlow, went on record to say that “this album is the sound of us knowing ourselves and knowing our ability, It’s unapologetically us. We’re professional songwriters now and we’ve honed in on what we’re good at – but it’s also about having fun and enjoying writing these tracks. And there are those little sonic signatures in the mix that even I can’t really put my finger on that just make it Neck Deep. It happens when we get in a room together and it clicks - it’s us just doing our thing like we always have.”
The group even elected against working with producers on the record and instead, opted for writing and recording their fifth LP in their warehouse near where the Barlow brothers grew up. “It was all us,” he continued. “There have been no compromises and that’s the way we like to do things these days. At this stage in our career, it’s what we needed to give ourselves the freedom to make the exact album we wanted to make. It was hard at times, but it also meant we talked a lot internally and got really clear about what we really wanted this album to sound like - what we really do best.” That’s precisely what this album is. The album shows the roots of Neck Deep as a whole, experimenting with newer tones and sounds.
Opening with ‘Dumbstruck, Dumbf**k,’ listeners are met with the classic, energetic sound that Neck Deep has always been known for. The track talks on the confusion of giving all you can to someone but, at the same time, not being enough while also realizing that leaving is the best option. The instrumentals carry the same heavy-hitting sound the band has always been known for while continuing to share the strong melancholy themes seen throughout the album.
‘It Won’t Be Like This Forever,’ turns the energy down a bit to share a pick-me-up track to show that wherever the listener may be in the current moment, that things can and will get better. It also helps to show that drowning in the sorrows and loneliness of the past won’t help future growth. The song does pick the energy back up through the chorus sharing prominent bass lines from Seb Barlow as the track leads into the bridge where the song goes on to further show the feeling of drowning before ending with the first line of the chorus accompanied by guitar as the track comes to a close.
Closing with ‘Moody Weirdo,’ brings energetic instrumentals while helping to push the message to people to keep going. It seems to be recurring within the album which is a good way for the band to look back on the things they’ve done in the past and how they’ve grown from them and realise where those things have gotten them while their past has gone to help many others.
Throughout the album, it’s clear to see elements from past releases. Showing where they’ve come within their ten-year journey as a band together. Younger Barlow sibling, Ben, also goes on to explain where the years have brought them. Their hardships and their highest points as a group. “We want to do this forever, and there are fans out there who have given so much to us in the last decade. I’ve always said I hope Neck Deep can help get people through some of their worst times and be the soundtrack to some of their best times. If this music can reach someone a thousand miles away and get them out of a funk they’re in, then that’s what it’s all about for us. We don’t need to be models, we don’t need to be fashion icons, we don’t even need to be political commentators. We just need to be the soundtrack to people’s best and worst times.” For millions of people around the world, they’ve done and continue to do just that.
Niki Davidson
★★★★★