This Time Next Year

The sophomore release from California pop punks This Time Next Year is a 13-track collection of upbeat, melodically rich tunes, with a theme reflective of the album title, Drop Out of Life. With the help of producer Paul Miner (AFI, Atreyu) and Newfoundglory's Chad Gilbert, this release is composed of quick melodic hooks over basic rhythms. The redundant, at times, songs muddle together without much variance, either musically or lyrically. However, This Time Next Year have a more developed sound this time around, without drastically altering their style from debut Road Maps and Heart Attacks. Notably, the band have quickened their tempos and the production values have improved. Pete Dowdalls (vocals) now has a more concise projection, bringing lyrics to the forefront. "I want to drop out of life/get on with my days" is both a line and the theme throughout, and the band don't deviate from that. Gilbert's influence seeps in on "Better Half," which plays like a NFG cover song (specifically "Better Off Dead"). Regardless, This Time Next Year have unique, hook-heavy song structures. Which is to say, they won't get lost in the shuffle during their opening spot on this year's Pop Punk's Not Dead tour.