Junior Battles

Upon first listen, it's as though Junior Battles have an advantage over every other pop punk band. Their debut full-length, Idle Ages, showcases a band that have grown up within punk rock and filtered the best parts of the genre into a collection of three-minute bursts while reflecting upon the contrast between teenage idealism and the sober reality of adulthood. But Junior Battles don't have an unfair advantage, they just took the time to study up and properly digest the last two decades of pop punk before committing chords to record. With two lead vocalists, they take advantage of their ability to change tempos and styles. "Send the Pilots Away" sounds like a snottier Bad Religion, while "Radio" and "Architecture" are slower acoustic numbers. The rest of the album, notably "Passing Out," "Seventeen" and "Birthdayparties vs. Punkroutine," is finely crafted pop punk influenced equally by Jawbreaker, Green Day and sing-along choruses.