Neck Deep - The Peace and The Panic track by track review

Here is my track by track review of Neck Deep's latest album 'The Peace and The Panic'

Motion Sickness
What an excellent opener, a quick choppy pop punk song that welcomes the listener with open arms.
It conveys a chest pounding salute to the familiar fans and newcomers alike.
Bags of charm and character in this track, it builds up well and has an infectious quality to it. Will certainly remain on my playlist and I cant wait to feel its energy in a live setting.

Sample Lyric: 'He said life is the great unknown, Better jump, better run and...'

Happy Judgement Day
One of the first tracks showcased from the album by the band, easy to see why, compliments of huge truly anthemic chorus. Its a fantastic song to prove that Neck Deep are writing songs that not only sound great but fill the bigger venues they're now playing.
An awesome key change on the final chorus will remind anyone why they love pop punk. An instant live classic that will be a welcome part of their set for many years.

Sample Lyric: 'Cuz your mouth is bigger than your brain, It's a shame, so fake and you're all the same'

Grand Delusion
First hint at a change of pace for this album, again has a quick frenetic quality to the guitars.
Very raw and sincere at moments, has a great driving song sound to it, you and your friends all singing in the car.
Bridge is constructed well, spills with emotion and shows depth.

Sample Lyric: 'Claustrophobic in my own skin, from holding it all in'

Parachute
Starts reminicent of a piano-less Something Corporate. Has a throwback to late 90's/early 00's pop punk, possibly a little nod to some of the bands they grew up fans of.
Song is very slick, has a polished quality to it.
Possibly a little bit harder to love than other songs mentioned thus far but still very well written.

Sample Lyric: 'And it bores me, Misery adores me'

In Bloom
The sound of a band evolving, the sound of a pop punk band growing up, a sound i also love.
For me a perfect track to release as a single, still very Neck Deep but showing they have more weapons in there arsenal.
Its showcases that you can be a pop punk band writing a killer song, but that doesn't mean it needs to be played too fast or heavy.
Loving the slight piano touches on the chorus too. Be proud boys this is wonderful.

Sample Lyric: 'Stop digging it up, or we're never gonna see it all in bloom'

Don't Wait (feat: Sam Carter)
Here you have a faster, riffier number. Showing they have another side lyrically too by tackling themes like goverment/politics and religion/belief, something the band do without shoving it down your throat.
The addition of Architects Sam Carter was genius, dropping heavier and filling the song with screaming and gang type backing vocals, building the song up and adding a different element to the album. Controlled chaos from the band and Sam.

Sample Lyric: 'Disrupt and keep dividing, the goverment is lying'

Critical Mistake
I really like this track, excellent melody and instantly catchy.
It does have a very 'Nimrod' era Green Day sound to it, especially in the verses with its semi-acoustic vibe, I'm sure Billie Joe Armstrong would love it. Which is certainly complimentary, and though I make the comparison, it still retains a Neck Deep sound also.
The song revisits the love and loss lyrics, but thats fine, it is a staple of the genre and with Ben singing brilliantly as always.

Sample Lyric: 'It's the way you want the world to be'

Wish You Were Here
Simply put, beautiful.
Poignant lamenting vocals from both Ben and Fil, just having this wonderful cascading quality to them.
Heartbreak never sounded so good, this is a touching soulful gem on this album.
If played live it will be a lighters in the air mass sing-a-long.. that i will be part of.
Utterly sincere and gorgeous. The band have outdone themselves.

Sample Lyric: 'Can't help but think it should of been me, Either way I still wish you were here'

Heavy Lies
A song that really captures that old Neck Deep spirit, just cleaner thesedays, which is by no means bad, less raw than in the old days.
It has that classic Neck Deep guitar tone, has a great pace throughout, packs enough of a punch without needing to be over the top.
I'd say it's the ' The Beach is for Lovers (Not Lonely Losers)' of this album.
It fits very well and could become a big fan favourite at live shows.

Sample Lyric: 'And it's yours and mine, The sun goes down, but we stay up all night'

19 Seventy Sumthin'
Wow, so very different, as per the title it has a kind of throwback quality to it.
Its a fantastic showcase in the bands writing prowess. The addition of the hammond organ to the verses is subtle but very cool.
It has a simply effortless flow, and has a melody that very subtly digs it claws in to you and wont let go, the mark of a fantastic song.
The song remains very Neck Deep as it has a big pop punk ballad style finish. I loved it.

Sample Lyric: 'Like the seed becomes the tree, We take the shape of a family'

Where Do We Go When We Go
This was the other track they released to wet our appitites for this album.. and it is perfect.
A mammoth chorus, huge hook, crunchy and dynamic! A song that is built to drive an audience wild and for me encapsulates that quintessential Neck Deep sound and spirit.
A master class in not only how to write an anthem but how to close an album.
Immense and a dose of what music needs thesedays.

Sample Lyric: 'I just want to get one up on life before it kills me'

But wait.. there's more!
Some editions of 'The Peace and the Panic' have 2 additional tracks, so let's do those too.

Beautiful Madness
Amazing. Possibly my favourite track in fact..
This, to me, is pop punk perfection. It has everything I love about pop punk, from that sense of urgency within the song to the great overlapping vocals.
Quick riffing guitars, I can almost imagine Matt (one half of the guitar tag team with Sam) spinning in circles on stage playing his heart out, yes he does do that.
My only question is, why didn't it make the standard cut of the album?? It is high octane, emotive and impassioned. I think it's fucking brilliant!

Sample Lyric: 'There's no hope for you and me, there will never be, We're fucked, Oh this is love'

Worth It
The final track to review. A very catchy offering with a smooth rhythm.
Drums are solid as always, great tone on the guitars, and during the middle 8 break, an excellent bass run, all chunky and chuggy, just how I like it.
Another that could have easily warrented a place on the standard version of the album, but yet again a great song that will definately grow with repeated listens.

Sample Lyric: 'I'll take the blame, but you came ate me like a kamikaze, a tsunami is setting our way'

In conclusion, I love this album.
People have bitched and whined about Neck Deep selling out, which is bullshit.
Neck Deep haven't massively changed their sound, simply tried evolving and trying different things.
The band doesn't want to recreate 'Life's Not Out To Get You'. It was amazing, but it is old and they need to keep moving forward.
Neck Deep are still very much Neck Deep, same spirit, same work ethic, similar sound.. they haven't abandoned old fans, simply offered them a chance to travel with them on a new journey, I for one, will be right there with them.
'The Peace and the Panic' is just that, peaceful gentle moments that allow you to think, dwell or reflect and then explode into the panic, with big catchy numbers that are sure to cause live crowd chaos.
Kudos to Neck Deep. Well done boys.