Toronto punk legends PUP have released their most heartfelt record yet, Who Will Look After the Dogs?. Though the record is sweet and loving, the band’s iconic dirty guitars and scratched vocals remain present.
Known for their inward facing and reflective lyrics, PUP is more raw than ever with the release of Who Will Look After the Dogs? Songs like Paranoid see lead vocalist and writer Stefan Babcock reflect on a particularly disastrous relationship.
It’s clear the band have been on a continuous journey of self discovery since their debut album in 2014. There’s a maturity to the presentation of this album compared to the meta mess that was their last release, The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND.
Many of the band members are now well into their thirties, but the young twenties angst that made their early music so electric is back and it’s better than ever. Who Will Look After the Dogs? Is beautifully heartfelt and heavy, PUP haven’t reinvented punk music but they’ve brought a much needed spin to the genre.
What makes PUP’s latest release such an entertaining listen is its consistent high quality. It’s got everything that makes PUP such a special band; Stefan’s torn vocals, Zack’s frantic drumming, Steve’s technical guitar work and Nestor’s deep bass lines.
Album opener No Hope features the most muddy production of the album but the chaotic mix sets the delirious tone of the album perfectly. Followup song Olive Garden continues this madness, bouncing between group vocals and exaggerated walls of distortion.
Concrete gets to the heart of the album with lyrics like, “We were only 18, you watched me spill my guts all over the concrete”. There’s a sappy side to Who Will Look After the Dogs? that’s mixed in with tales of jealousy and doomed love.
Love and relationships have been a core element to PUP’s music since their debut album, but their latest release hammers home the idea more than ever before with a majority of the twelve song track list being dedicated to it.
However tracks like Getting Dumber, guest featuring modern punk royalty Jeff Rosenstock, brings back the energetic silliness that helps break up the more lyrical dense songs.
Who Will Look After the Dogs’s? is a great album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s not PUP’s best work, but their continuous growth within the pop-punk genre has been a joy to see. If you’re a fan of modern punk, PUP is up there as a must listen band.
Featured Image Credit: Little Dipper
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
Deputy editor
Contact - deputyeditor@brignews.com
