Pears
Green Star
Fat Wreck Chords (2016)
Sounds like: Lagwagon, Strung Out, Minor Threat
Score: 9.5
Hearing someone say anything negative about NOLA hardcore punks, Pears, is almost as rare as seeing their frontman, Zach Quinn, wearing a t-shirt out in public. That’s because these guys have been cultivating a loyal following by condemning themselves to a life of constant touring, playing stellar shows across the world. Seeing the band live is a sight to behold. Quinn, fiercely dominates the stage (sometimes resulting in injury), and with the rest of the band oozing an unmatched aggression, it’s no wonder Fat Wreck Chords took an interest in the band at such an early stage in their career.
Their recently released sophomore album, Green Star, further demonstrates the lightning in a bottle Pears has been able to create, record, and put out for our consumption. When I interviewed Quinn last September before Green Star came out, he said “The new record is different. I’ve been telling people that it’s more Go to Prison than Go to Prison is. The sweeter stuff is sweeter and the meaner stuff is meaner. The juxtapositions, the turns, are way more contrasting; it’s a bizarre album.” Having now experienced it, I can’t find a more accurate description.
Green Star sounds like an unintentional hardcore opera, with several songs leading into one another, as heard with openers “Hinged by Spine” and the artfully named “Cumshots,” which showcases exactly how epicly the band can shred. Jarred Nathan’s drumming throughout this entire album is something worth archiving and teaching to future generations of punks. “I might take off my floaties when the pool’s already drained,” Quinn sings on “I Love My Kennel” a track that reminds listeners of what made Go to Prison such a spectacular debut album. But the reminiscing doesn’t last long as the title track shows off just how many new melodic influences have rubbed off on the band since touring with various fellow Fat Wreck label mates. Exploring new vocal arrangements paid off; “Green Star” may be the most pop-punk song Pears have given us, but it’s a suit that fits them well, and it has become one of my favorite tracks off the record.
While the pop-punk is also evident on songs like “Snowflake,” the hardcore is still at the forefront, and in most cases perfectly intertwined within the same song, as heard on “Cloverleaf,” what is to me the most dynamic song on the album. The eerie vocals on “The Tile of St. Stewart” almost sends chills down your spine as it crawls to the beat of the striking bass guitar. Packed with piano intermissions and fuming guitar riffs, Green Star is a damn near masterpiece of a hardcore record made by the nicest guys in punk rock.
-Alan Madrigal
Pears play Beauty Bar with No Red Alice on May 28. Details for that show can be found on Facebook.
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