Farewell

Farwell's sophomore album, Run It Up the Flagpole, is a damn fun summer record but it is also extremely confusing. Their best tracks, such as "We All Fall Down," showcase Jawbreaker and Alkaline Trio influences but unfortunately these songs are few and far between. Most of them, like "Rock On the Radio" and "Sucker Bait," have an eclectic mix of atypical instruments for punk songs, such as synths and xylophones, with lyrics about V-cards and sucker punches. Their debut, Isn't This Supposed To Be Fun?, was also all over the map and it's disappointing that they haven't figured out their niche quite yet. Autobiographical track "Catch-As-Catch-Can" is a super-relatable story about growing up and finding yourself, but it's another reminder they haven't found their sound. Are they punk rock? Are they dance rock? Lose the synths and play from the heart. Synths have no place in punk rock anyway. Get it together, Epitaph; you used to never let me down.