Release Date: 01/05/2020
Record Label: FCMedia
For Fans Of: The Bottom Line, State Champs, Neck Deep
If you’re looking for proof that pop-punk is alive and well then look no further. FRND CRCL are back with their sophomore release, Internet Noise, and it’s gonna make you wanna throw your cap on back-to-front before heading out on that skateboard you’ve never actually learned to use. Buckle up.
South Jersey 4-piece, FRND CRCL, are unashamedly unafraid of putting the pop in pop-punk and throughout this release that couldn’t be any more evident. Don’t be fooled, this is still an album that slaps and rocks, it just does so in a way that feels refreshingly light and melodic. Tracks such as ‘Somethin’ Bout You’ and ‘Loose Cannon’ are prime examples of this, but there’s not an effort on Internet Noise that doesn’t fall into that category. The former track is a non-stop bundle of energy that is so infectious it will capture you in seconds, while the latter feels like the wonderful lovechild of Busted and Sum-41.
FRND CRCL dabble in lyrical wordplay, littering pop culture references throughout, and revel in creating a record that feels like it is ready to explode from the get-go. ‘Famous’, a song about the social media generation’s desire to be somebody online, epitomises this perfectly. However, Internet Noise wouldn’t be a true pop-punk record if it didn’t feature a track or two that will have you raising your phone torch in the air and changing your MSN status to a line from the chorus (Don’t pretend you didn’t do that). Look no further than the emotive and empowering ‘End of The World’, or the charming and heart-warming ‘Charlotte’s Web’.
Internet Noise isn’t quite the record that would accompany an installment of the American Pie franchise, nor is it one that would blare out at the skatepark as everyone attempts to recreate their skills from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. FRND CRCL have captured that nostalgic, true pop-punk feel of the early 2000’s and brought it up-to-date. Internet Noise feels current, cool, and comfortable in being pop-punk as fuck.
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Track: ‘Somethin’ Bout You’