“There’s a hole in my heart right where your guitar should be.“
‘DEFEND POP PUNK.’ Modern pop punk fans likely don’t even recognize that phrase, but it was the war cry of all pop punkers in the early 2010s, and the band Man Overboard actually lead the charge on that front. The band has been on hiatus for the better part of a decade now, but vocalist Zachary Eisenstein is keeping their spirit alive with his new group called Zachary Ross and The Divine. And you can experience all that spirit once their debut EP Rebuilding Heaven drops on September 9th. Let’s talk about it.
But first, an anecdote. A couple weeks ago, I reached out to my friend to ask if this Zac was indeed the Zac that I knew she was close friends with. She confirmed, and a mere hour later I was walking into the group’s first ever live show – and via guest list, thanks to Zac being so kind. It was both a fun and chill environment, with The Divine putting on an entertaining and welcoming show.
As for the EP, there’s a lot to like here for Man Overboard and general pop punk fans alike. Opener “Angels Don’t Kill” is packed with emotion and the lyrical use of a telescope invokes some impactful imagery. “Push Start” is my personal favorite, as the rhyme scheme developed here is expert level, and shows just how long Zac has been at it. Brought together with a strong chorus, poppy chords and decent production, this is a great feel-good track.
I think the group lends itself better to more fast paced tracks, and that fact makes the slower “Weapon” and “Panic Button” fall a bit flat for me. But “A Light Over Massachusetts” makes up for its surrounding tracks, featuring perhaps Zac’s best vocal performance on the entire EP. Overall, I predict this EP will be quite underrated. There’s not much great pop punk coming out right now, and Rebuilding Heaven carves out its own niche, boosted by some great individual performances.
7/10
Rebuilding Heaven will be available this Friday, September 9th, via Smartpunk Records, and you can pre-save it here.