While the emo scene may seem overplayed and overdone since the mid-2000s, pop-punk is a genre that has helped usher emo music into a new age. At the forefront, we should always consider Knuckle Puck. With only one record under their belt the band has a lot of room to grow. That is exactly what we are starting to hear with their two new singles “Calendar Days / Indecisive.”
Based out of Chicago, Illinois the band Knuckle Puck has been around for about seven years now. They released their debut record “Copacetic” in mid-2015. It went incredibly well as far as debut records go, charting as high as 61 on Billboards 200. While the pop-punk genre as a whole is starting to feel crowded and too formulaic, Knuckle Puck have been a breath of fresh air for the scene. Their one record had a good mix of punk with some more slower paced elements, all of which contributed to a new and exciting sound that everyone has been wanting to hear. However, we have not had much since the release of “Copacetic,” at least that was until the release of their latest singles “Calendar Days / Indecisive.”
While this is only two tracks, we have a lot to dissect here. Starting us off we should talk about “Calendar Days.” This track gives us a refreshing take on the sound we have gotten used to with Knuckle Puck. However, the main thing to take away with this track is just how much more clean and mature it sounds than anything from “Copacetic.” We do not get anything nearly as angry or as whiny as the past record and that is kind of a good thing. “Calendar Days” is a just a single step in a new direction that the band is heading in, but if this track is any indication of how much the band has grown in the last couple of years, we are in for a good time.
The only other track we have to talk about is “Indecisive,” which is the most different sounding track we have from Knuckle Puck as a whole. It is a much slower paced ballad and this is probably the stronger of the two tracks. “Indecisive” is full of one liners that will hit you right in the gut, with a catchy melody. Overall the rhythm has a much more chill and toned down approach.
Should you listen to it?: YES!
“Calendar Days / Indecisive” are just a small sample of what is coming from Knuckle Puck in the near future. If you are fans of Knuckle Puck or just pop-punk in general, then you will really appreciate these singles. If this is the approach that the band is going for with their upcoming sophomore album, then you we are in for a very exciting record in the near future. Knuckle Puck should be on your radar if they are not already.
