PUP is a special band. In fact, they’re the most underrated pop-punk/emo adjacent group out there right now. I have officially declared that, and why else are you on Boolin Tunes if not for the official declarations about music that are 100% factual? I can support this though – 2019’s Morbid Stuff was one of the best records of its genre in that decade. Vocalist Stefan Babcock’s lyrics are unique in their intimacy and relatability, and the vocal delivery of them was consistently cathartic. It’s an incredibly mature record too, feeling like if the pop-punk we loved grew up with us into our near 30s. Now, Canadian quartet PUP are back with their upcoming record, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, and as you could imagine, expectations were high for me, at least.
The narrative behind this loose concept album is immediately prevalent in the intro track of “Four Chords.” The song talks about Babcock learning the piano and presenting this to the label, and his somber singing over some piano chords emphasizes this. That is, until the intro erupts into a cacophony of instruments including synths and horns, too. Seems like everyone picked up a new instrument during the pandemic. This leads into “Totally Fine” which ramps up the energy tenfold. And this track continues a lot of what Morbid Stuff did so well – be equal parts heavy, catchy, and cathartic. As the first track in truth, I think “Totally Fine” is a totally perfect tone setter. The backing vocals during the bridge amplify the song’s strengths, too.
Next is a more standard PUP track in “Robot Writes a Love Song.” It’s standard in that Babcock fits a lot of descriptive and personal lyrics into a tight run time, and it’s tied together with an infectious chorus. However, the lyrical content is worth looking into, as is the case with most PUP tracks. This one is about a computer dying and the story surrounding this. It’s a fairly unique concept, and Babcock maintains a motif of tech related lyrics that act as a metaphor to the band’s feelings on the matter of wheeling it out and replacing it – it’s genius and ends up making the song stick out nicely. The verse and pre-chorus on this track also feature a soothing indie rock-esque instrumental as if the band was covering alt-J.
“’Matilda’ is the name of my favorite guitar,” Babcock has said of the instrument that inspired the song of the same name. He went on to explain that it was a gift from a close friend, and he unfortunately had to retire it due to the sound of the instrument deteriorating over its long-life span. Thus spawned this heartbreaking track. It’s actually from Matilda’s perspective, which makes it all the more sad and leads to lyrics like:
‘Now you don’t even write the chords down, you don’t even play me anyhow, anymore.’
It’s just a great sounding track with a touching, personal message from Babcock. The grief feels real, and that’s something that is all too rare. Matilda is even played on the bridge of the song, giving her a well-deserved send-off.
I’ve mentioned the cathartic nature of PUP’s discography multiple times now; you’re probably tired of it. But it is on full display on the next track, “Relentless.”
‘Fuck all the dread, its endless. You can’t kill it like you wanted. And when you try and get ahead, you’re relentless. You can never admit how badly you want it.’
The delivery of these lyrics is beautiful, and after one instance, the track devolves into a stripped-down instrumental before ramping back up into an insanely dreamy bridge. Use of repetition with the chorus, albeit in different styles, drives home the catharsis and makes for a special track. I’m most excited to see the public reception to this one, and I wish it was a single for that reason.
“Habits” is another track I want to highlight. It starts with an almost electric accordion type instrumental which starkly contrasts the song as a whole, which is notably somber compared to the rest of the track listing. “I don’t change, I just push right through” is a simple yet poignant lyrical cut that can be applied to everyone’s life in multiple ways. And the track revolves around this idea, hence the title of “Habits.” It also serves as a good transition into “Cutting Off the Corners” which is a straight up ballad. It doesn’t do much for me as an individual track but I do enjoy the breather that this section of the album provides; it makes the project as a whole feel more multifaceted and digestible.
“Grim Reaping” picks up the pace a bit, and vocalist Babcock has shared some interesting insight into just what “Grim Reaping” is to him:
“It’s a lot of me trying to articulate my own coping with existential dread, hopelessness, and what I’ve called ‘Grim Reaping’ – which is to me, the idea that we are all reaping what we sow, and right now we’re sowing some pretty fucked up shit.”
Well said, and accurate. This message makes for a good track, and I like how the bass is at the forefront of the mix compared to other songs.
The closer, “PUPTHEBAND Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy” is aptly a mouthful, because the track itself is backed to the brim with crazy concept for a PUP record. The bones of it are a fast paced prog-like riff, but it also reveals itself to be almost like if The Strokes went metalcore – not to mention the fantastic horn addition on the tail end of the song. It’s a great closer because it feels like a huge song for a band where all their songs sound huge, thus it’s a great feat.
The verdict – PUP have absolutely lived up to the hype garnered from 2018’s fantastic Morbid Stuff. Due to personal attachment, I find the average track quality to be higher on Morbid Stuff, but one could make a case for THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND to be the band’s best album, and I would not fight them too hard on that. Everything one could want in a PUP record is on it.
8/10
To pre-order the album before it’s April 1st release, go here. And for more reviews and everything music, check back with Boolin Tunes.