Save Your Breath - Vices
Save Your Breath are the latest band in an over-saturated pop-punk scene.
With such a large scene, the genre has changed. Gone are the power chord-driven, catchy tracks of bands like Green Day or Screeching Weasel.
Now, bands like All Time Low are taking pop-punk in a new, synth-led, over-produced direction.
Simple Plan showed signs of taking the scene back to its roots with Get Your Heart On, but ultimately fell short.
Save Your Breath look yet to take the pop-punk scene by storm with debut album Vices, which may be one of the best records the genre will see all year.
Fans of New Found Glory will lap this up, with an almost flawless collection of upbeat, simple pop-punk tracks.
The Welsh music scene has been throwing up excellent bands across the wider rock world, and Save Your Breath look set to be the valleys' next big export
As soon as opening track 'Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy' kicks in, it's clear that the band have a knack for writing a great riff.
Vices is polished and tight, with no attempts to deviate from what works.
By going back to the roots of the genre, it feels fresh and exciting.
'The Lost Boys' has a riff reminiscent of blink-182, with an infectious melody to create an near-perfect pop-punk song.
'Don't Let Me Down' is another highlight on a consistent, strong album.
It's satisfying, with the download trend apparently rendering albums redundant, to hear such a great record that feels like a body of work rather than a collection of separate songs.
Save Your Breath do what all the great current pop-punk bands are doing, just a lot better and tighter.
Vices doesn't shy away from being a simple pop-punk album, and therein lies its charm.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge