Album of the Week #3: PUP - The Dream Is Over
Album of the Week #3: PUP - The Dream Is Over
This is Album of the Week #3. This week's album is PUP - The Dream Is Over
Year of Release: 2016
Genre(s): Pop Punk
Country: Canada
Length: 30 minutes
Album.Link
Excerpt from NPR
Where PUP's 2014 self-titled debut was a turbulent affair, The Dream Is Over sounds more controlled. Not that there isn't emotional turbulence here — in fact, much of Dream is about disillusionment, growing up and realizing that you can't get everything you want, starting with your bandmates. "If this tour doesn't kill you, then I will," guitarist Stefan Babcock meekly deadpans in the first moments of the album, before the track explodes into a bar-brawling punk sing-along. It's a hell of a way to open, but it's telling that in the moments when PUP's members need each other most — especially when Babcock yells, "But every line, every goddamn syllable that you say / Makes me wanna gouge out my eyes with a power drill" — they've got each other's backs by shouting a response, no matter how thoroughly messed-up.
Discussion points:
Have you heard this artist/album before? Is this your first time hearing?
Do you enjoy this genre? Is this an album you would have chosen?
Does this album remind you of something you've heard before?
What were the album's strengths or weaknesses?
Was there a standout track for you?
How did you hear the album? Where were you? What was your setup?
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God, I love this album (and this band). Glad to see it here and glad others are being introduced for the first time! If you're into this one, I can HIGHLY recommend Morbid Stuff, which is their follow up to this album and in my opinion their best album. Scorpion Hill is so freakin' good.
I enjoyed it? This isn't a band that I've heard before and it is a genre I haven't really enjoyed since I was maybe 13, but this was good! I was particularly struck by a little poignancy from the last song, Pine Point, where the singer's older brother died in a drunk driving accident, and he's just spent the last half of the album going on about how he's a failure and a dropout with alcohol problems of his own.
The guitar and drums bring all the energetic, almost frenetic vibe you'd expect from an album like this, but the tunes are catchy and if this was your sort of thing I could definitely see singing along being cathartic in the way that punk can be. It is interesting to me to think about the singing I'm hearing from these folks about feeling frustrated and angsty with the world they live in. It's the same as you might have heard 20 or 30 or 40 years ago now from previous generations of punk singers - I think a drawback to this is it sounds almost exactly the same as a slacker from the 80s or 90s would without being updated at all to reflect the times we're actually in.
But thank you for posting - I'm probably not going to listen to this again but it was fun to listen to it this morning. I hope everybody reading has a nice rest of their day (and maybe feel a little more fulfilled in your life than these folks seem to)
I agree with everything you’ve said. A fun album but not my usual genre. Probably won’t listen again but I didn’t not enjoy hearing it through!
A new album to me. 'Pop punk' is a genre I've historically struggled with because it seems contradictory - pop is mass appeal, punk is sticking the middle finger to the masses. It works best when it leans one way or the other, and isn't trying to walk that fine line.
Something that really struck me listening to this is how much overlap there is to Jeff Rosenstock's 'WORRY.', which released the same year. Both pop-punk, both a little rough around the edges, and both upbeat and cathartic. It feels as though this release maybe sits in its shadow a bit.
I think I preferred 'The Dream Is Over' (if I can compare), where I think Rosenstock leans more into the sheer fun of the 'pop' in pop punk, PUP here have something that feels looser and more raw, and opens up to some quite poignant moments.
'Gang vocals' is also something that tends to not sit well with me, but I enjoyed them here. I think maybe because it's not trying to anthemic - it feels as though they don't want you singing along.
I really like PUP. I found them a few years ago just thanks to GooglePlay Music recommending them to me randomly.
This is definitely something I'd listen to. I've always liked both punk and pop-punk. My formative years were heavily influenced by bands like Operation Ivy, Rancid, Social Distortion, and poppier stuff like early GreenDay, Blink 182..
After highschool in the early 2010's I went to a lot of shows and saw some great punk, or maybe punk adjacent (Garage Rock? Noise Rock?) bands like Japandroids (Fellow Canadians like PUP), FIDLAR, Skaters, The Orwells,..
So PUP showing up in my feed wasn't surprising but certainly welcome.
The standout track for me is DVP. The transition from the opening track right into the action is a lot of fun, and has the feel of attending a live show.