Stickup Kid
Nothing About Me
Adeline Records
Sounds Like: Aggressive pop punk with bittersweet lyrics and vocals
Rating: 9/10
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Stickup Kid’s new EP Nothing About Me contains more of the quality, catchy pop punk we’ve come to expect from the band. It has substance far beyond its brief runtime, and I’ve had this record on repeat since the day I got my hands on it.
In comparison to their debut release, The Sincerest Form of Flattery, this EP exhibits a more polished and defined sound, thankfully to great effect. “Breathing,” the intro track, reels you in right away and introduces the album’s overall feel of musically aggressive pop punk with bittersweet lyrics and vocals. “I feel so out of breath from breathing you in too deep,” says Tony Geravesh, whose style is heartfelt yet calm and easygoing, occasionally adopting a coarse feel to it whenever the intensity of the song calls for it.
I wouldn’t say Nothing About Me pushes any boundaries musically, but it does feature Stickup Kid’s knack for changing pace on a dime and utilizing cool little drum fills and nifty guitar licks. It may seem like a silly thing to call out, but I specifically enjoyed this album’s use of the chant. Chants often feel out of place and forced, but “Lighthouse” features one of those “ohhh, ohh, ohhs” that ties the entire song together and invokes a sing-along, believe me. “You Are Captain Hook” takes the crown as the catchiest song on the record and is where the name of the EP is derived from, as in “there’s nothing about me that you cannot replace.” The closer, “The Weather Outside Is Weather” is my favorite song on Nothing About Me. It showcases everything Stickup Kid has to offer, from the intensity at its outset, to the catchiness and heaviness of the midsection, and finally the powerful yet heartsick ending it puts on the album.
Nothing About Me has reflective lyrics that hint at heartache, high energy punk rock, and a youthful moxie. It is a great summer release from a great West Coast band that sounds like they are hitting their stride. Do yourself a favor and pick up the album from Adeline Records when it comes out on June 5th!
-Felipe Garcia
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