#man+overboard

[woeismaxie]

[woeismaxie]

😛 yay!!!!

[naughty--horror]

[cassimay]

[silezukuk]

— του Man Martin από τη σειρά Man Overboard / [***]

[falloutbradreviews]

Man Overboard - Heavy Love

There was truly something special about being a “pop-punk kid” in the late 2010s; the genre was truly at its peak when bands like The Wonder Years, Neck Deep, Story So Far, and State Champs were on top of the world, and they were achieving actual Billboard success, and not just being on the fringes of the mainstream. The “defend pop-punk” era, as it was called, was a unique era in the genre that could have only existed back then. If you were a teenager or in your early 20s back then, you were the right age for the era. I was just out of high school when that era got popular, and those bands started blowing up, but I embodied the stereotype perfectly — I wore khakis, band shirts, and snapbacks, as well as worshipping pizza, and always talking about how much I hated my hometown and loved my friends.

The band that started the “defend pop-punk” movement, which in itself began as a joke, was New Jersey band Man Overboard, and they’re a band that I’ve got mixed feelings on. I’ve really liked some of what I’ve heard, but I’ve also thought that Man Overboard embodied the cringy stereotypes of the genres, whether it’s for whiny vocals, lyrics about hometowns, friends, and stuff like that, or the super generic song structures. To be fair, they got better with time, although I remember liking their 2011 self-titled. I’ve heard 2013’s Heart Attack, but I don’t remember it that well. I ended up finding a copy of their (as of writing this) last album, 2015’s Heavy Love on eBay for a great deal, so I decided to get it.

The band went on hiatus in 2015, but they’ve been back together since 2018, and they haven’t put out a new album. I’m surprised they haven’t, but in a way, their era is dead and gone. I know people would love for them to release a new album, but Heavy Love is the last album that we have for now, so how is it? I picked it up, because I don’t see pop-punk / alternative albums that often on the few eBay stores I frequent, so I had to grab it. I had never heard Heavy Love before, but it’s honestly pretty damn good. This album is more than just a generic 2010s pop-punk album, too, especially where they got Descendants drummer Bill Stevenson to produce the record. He let the band keep their creative control, but you can hear some Descendants influences in their sound here.

Their sound is one major thing I like here, as it has less of a straightforward pop-punk sound and more of an alternative sound; some songs have a catchier and more accessible sound, but they still opt for their classic pop-punk sound a good bit. Truthfully, their sound is the best part of the album, but I do like the vocals and lyrics. This band has two vocalists, Zac Eisenstein and Nik Bruzzese, and they both complement each other well. Their voices are both kind of whiny, but they work well with each other. The hooks are surprisingly catchy, but it’s the lyrics that don’t do much for me. There are a few good nuggets here and there, but the album is kind of devoid of any lyrical genius or anything very worthwhile. It’s all about girls, hometowns, and the same kind of stuff we’ve always gotten from them.

They aren’t beating the generic allegations, but I still have fun listening to this album. It’s an album that I can play while I’m in the car and got the windows down. It’s a perfect summer album, and the point of a “summer album” is that they’re fun, carefree, and easy to listen to. I always have a blast listening to this album, but the lyrics and vocals are the last things I really listen to when I’m listening to this. I mainly love its sound that mixes alt-rock and pop-punk in a good way, and it’s both catchy but more energetic and fast paced. I love its energy, and even when it slows down a bit, it’s still nice. I’d recommend this album if you enjoy pop-punk, or if you like alternative-rock, because it doesn’t completely have a pop-punk sound. I would go as far as to say this is their best album by a long shot.

[reel-friends]

2/22/2014

[reel-friends]

11/16/2016

Lucy in my old Man Overboard hoodie