Get out the skateboards, cargo shorts and snap backs: Neck Deep are back and returning their pop punk roots.

Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep released their self-titled album on January 19, 2024 through Hopeless Records. This is the band’s first album release since 2020’s All Distortions Are Intentional, making this a highly anticipated return for fans of the group.

Fans of Neck Deep know they have embraced the label of “Generic Pop Punk” for years, a staple in their merch collection are shirts that feature that phrase, and that label rings true on this project. The loud, fast-paced guitars and drums mixed with catchy and screamable choruses are ever-present throughout. Listening through you cannot help but want to head bang and picture a circle pit and crowd surfers. 

The album touches on a variety of topics over the short 10 tracks. Songs like “Dumbstruck Dumbf**ck”, “This Is All My Fault” and “Heartbreak Of The Century” touch on relationships and heartbreak, while “We Need More Bricks” is a politically charged track about needing people to get angry and work towards changing things. The songs “Go Outside!” and “It Won’t Be Like This Forever” discuss mental health. 

The main issue this album faces is that there is no break for the listener. The album is high-energy and fast-paced almost the entire time. The closest instances for a slower moment are on the tracks,  “It Won’t Be Like This Forever” and “They May Not Mean To (But They Do)” but those tracks are only slowed down slightly. It is still high energy and full sound. For those listening to the whole album for the first time, it may be a bit exhausting. While the album itself is not long, jumping from in-your-face guitars and drums on track after track, can be overwhelming. Having at least one more acoustic or slower moment would be a nice way to break up the listening experience. 

To go along with the lack of breaks, there isn’t much variety sonically. Each song is full of pounding running drums, power chords, some distorted guitars and large choruses. At times, the instrumentals drown out the vocals, like on “Sort Yourself Out” and the opening track “Dumbstruck Dumbf**ck”. Each song follows that same pop punk formula almost to a tee. So, when listening, you can predict where the song is going. There aren’t dynamic changes with softer, toned back instrumentals that slowly build to large moments. While that is not typical of pop punk songs, having even a touch of something different would elevate this album. The songs needed a dash of something extra or unexpected to allow them to stand out from every other pop punk song, or even other Neck Deep tracks. 

That is not to say there are no tracks that have moments that stray a bit. Some songs like “It Won’t Be Like This Forever” have more acoustic openings, and there are instances where vocalist Ben Barlow has belting moments like on “Take Me With You”. However, those moments are rare. They get lost with the rest of the album that blends from one track to the next. If the band took those moments and developed them more, the songs would stand out, and allow for a dynamic listening experience. 

What saves the album are the lyrics and themes discussed throughout the album. “We Need More Bricks” is a powerful and relevant track. This song touches on everything from the British monarchy and wars to political protests and calls on everyone to work together to make a difference. Ben Barlow sings “The kids are wide awake/And they rage against the palace”, calling out people protesting against the traditional monarchy. The chorus sings “We need more fight and we need more grit/We need more punks and we need more bricks”, calling on everyone to open their eyes and fight for change. In today’s world, with politicians trying to pass discriminatory laws, genocide, international wars, global warming and more, people need to be ready to fight for change. Barlow sings “The next emergency can only be so tragic/An opportunity for the next distraction tactic,” calling out how we cannot get distracted by whatever political tactics that will be used after the next tragedy to hide what is actually happening in the world. 

“Go Outside!” is another stand-out track. While still having the pop punk sound, it attempts to bring a touch of variety. The drums are still heavy, but less in your face. The guitars drive the track with a repetitive line that can be heard throughout the song, even having some solo moments to let it shine. The vocals are also emotional and needy. Listening closely, you can hear the desperation in his voice. He is yearning for something in his life to change in order to be okay again. The lyrical content discusses struggling with mental health and not feeling like yourself. Barlow is begging for someone to help him be okay again. In the chorus, he sings: “​Save me/I have lost myself/So I’m begging you to say my name/Snap me out of this/Take me back to when I felt like me/When I felt like me”. Later, he talks about needing to open up and tell this person everything, but he is not ready to share that part of himself yet. The vulnerable side of him. Right now, he just needs them to help him feel okay. 

“Moody Weirdo” is the closing track and may be the song on the album. This track has an uplifting feel. The instrumental is the most toned down and feels more bright. The drums are pulled back to overwhelm the vocals, but are still the driving force. You are still able to rock out and get the pop punk feel, but not feel overwhelmed. It feels like a more modern, updated sound that merges a current rock sound with the nostalgic pop punk sound we love. It’s a refreshing sound to close out the album.

Barlow also brings a positive and hopeful vocal delivery to “Moody Weirdo”. The lyrics discuss the internal struggle of accepting yourself and the need for personal growth and accepting the changes. Barlow sings, “You gotta take one small step every day/ Don’t fight the change/ Just say what you have to say”, these lyrics are straightforward and pack a punch. They clearly paint a picture of an almost epiphany Barlow has come to. Listening to the chorus, it is clear he is describing how we have to take each day as it comes and accept that life will change. However, the last line hints that you do not have to be afraid to speak up. There is room to be yourself, and stand up for what you believe in. Which can also be applied to themes discussed throughout the record. Relationships will change, you can speak up and fight for change in the world, and accept that making changes in your life may be what is needed to help better yourself and your mental health. It feels almost like the climax of the album. If you were to take one message from listening to every track, this chorus would be what you remember,

During the bridge of “Moody Weirdo”, Barlow feels as if he’s talking to himself and coming to realization that he needs someone by his side to navigate life. He sings, “ I didn’t think I was stupid/ It was all a fear / And I don’t think I can do this without you here”. While it is just a few lines, the are blunt, and let us know exactly what he Barlow is thinking. These are the words he wants to say this special person in his life. In the past, they have been apart, maybe he even pushed this person away. But, he knows he was wrong, and he is ready for to have someone by his side to go through these challenges. In previous songs like “This Is All My Fault”, he was pushing another person away, but he has come full circle and is no welcoming someone back in life. This demonstrates the growth Barlow has gone through from the beginning of the record.

Overall, this self-titled project is a solid pop punk album. It is full of fast-paced, energetic tracks with choruses made for screaming and moshing, made for those who long for the nostalgic pop punk they grew up listening to. However, that comes with the price of the album feeling sonically static and underwhelming. At times the loud and in-your-face instrumental overwhelms the vocal delivery and lyrics, the two highlights of the project. 

Neck Deep is not a bad album. It just lacks variety and does not bring anything new to the table. It falls in the middle of the road. It has its moments where the songs are able to branch out past the typical pop punk mold. Those few instances allow to break up the wall of rolling drums and distorted guitars that is present from start to finish. However, those moments are few and far between. This leaves the album feeling a bit lackluster and not one that will bring constant repeat listening.

Fans of pop punk and those who enjoy the OG sound of Neck Deep will enjoy this album. For those who want something that brings some new and unique sounds, this album will fall flat. 

Neck Deep is available on all major streaming services. Neck Deep is currently on tour, ticket information can be found on their website.