A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings is anything but a misnomer for Beach Slang's sophomore LP, which hears frontman James Alex leading the band through a second helping of hopelessly romantic, idealistically nostalgic punk-tinged indie rock.
Opening with the one-two punch of "Future Mixtape for the Art Kids" and "Atom Bomb," the Philadelphia-based band wastes no time blending the bleeding-heart sincerity of the lyrics with brash ringing guitars and drums begging to be pogoed to.
Across the ten new songs, Beach Slang run the gamut of the album's titular sentiments, as relatively lighthearted lines about stitching hearts to sleeves and each other ("Future Mixtape for the Art Kids") turn into lyrics detailing reckless booze-fuelled nights ("Spin the Dial," "Wasted Daze of Youth"), all capped off by a poignant plea to fight to survive in closer "Warpaint."
Primary songwriter Alex is ever the magnetic frontman, years removed from his own teenage experiences but perfectly at ease in the role of a rock'n'roll guidance counsellor of sorts. A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings might not be an earth-shattering departure from last year's full-length debut The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, but it's a loud and beautifully fun ode to young outsiders falling in love, getting fucked up and revelling in their weirdness — and that's advice as good as any.
(Polyvinyl)Opening with the one-two punch of "Future Mixtape for the Art Kids" and "Atom Bomb," the Philadelphia-based band wastes no time blending the bleeding-heart sincerity of the lyrics with brash ringing guitars and drums begging to be pogoed to.
Across the ten new songs, Beach Slang run the gamut of the album's titular sentiments, as relatively lighthearted lines about stitching hearts to sleeves and each other ("Future Mixtape for the Art Kids") turn into lyrics detailing reckless booze-fuelled nights ("Spin the Dial," "Wasted Daze of Youth"), all capped off by a poignant plea to fight to survive in closer "Warpaint."
Primary songwriter Alex is ever the magnetic frontman, years removed from his own teenage experiences but perfectly at ease in the role of a rock'n'roll guidance counsellor of sorts. A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings might not be an earth-shattering departure from last year's full-length debut The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, but it's a loud and beautifully fun ode to young outsiders falling in love, getting fucked up and revelling in their weirdness — and that's advice as good as any.
