Agreed re-Proper Dose sentiments. I also think the self titled record was a semi-underrated step away from their older material. The songwriting may be more similar but the production really makes it stand out as its own thing within their discography and it's probably my favorite of theirs.
Yeah, aside from 2 or 3 other songs, Proper Dose is the only thing I’ve really enjoyed from this band.
Proper Dose is their best project, however if you were around for the early-mid 2010s era, a lot will say What You Don't See is still their favorite.
I like all their albums a lot but proper dose is on another level. The new one is shaping up to be quite great too. Great band.
What You Don't See will probably always be my favorite, I think that record is basically a quintessential early 2010s pop punk album (we need a better name for this era/subgenre than tr00 pop punk or whatever it was). I kind of hate the mix on S/T so I mostly avoid it. Proper Dose is easily their most interesting and unique album. I really wish this band wasn't so unlikable tho, from their clear distaste for being in a band and fans (boring live show, lack of music videos, lyrics, etc.) and of course their front man's poor choices from kicking that girl in the back to being in No Pressure with that drummer that assaulted someone. If I'm gonna pick a band from that era it's The Wonder Years over them every day. But I still spin these guys from time to time for nostalgia.
I was all in for pop punk when Under Soil and Dirt and What You Don't See came out. I was a little proud I preordered USAD and got the like, /250 variant. Was meh on Self Titled, and had largely moved on from pop punk when Proper Dose came out, but it grabbed me like pop punk records hadn't for quite a while. The only other pop punk bands I still pay attention to have largely moved away from that sound, mostly still just pay attention to Fireworks and TWY.
We can call this era hookless pop-punk. Cuz all those bands forgot the key to a pop song is having a memorable hook.
Some bands had plenty of hooks. Others didn’t. Kind of a crap shoot. TSSF and fireworks are the two bands from that era I return to the most. Tigers jaw and the menzingers too. And the swelllers. The rest are all kinda meh
Worst offenders of that era are bands like Neck Deep, Real Friends, State Champs... absolutely interchangable and faceless
I mean Empty Space has one of the biggest hooks of that era, couldnt get that song out of my head when it released
Proper Dose is cool for its maturity and growth but I do still listen to What You Don’t See and S/T a little more overall. Real hyped for this new record though!
I immediately thought you were saying the band Quicksand is better TSSF so I liked this post because OBVIOUSLY. but then I remembered TSSF has a song called “Quicksand”… Quicksand (band) >>> “Quicksand” (TSSF song)
Right Here, Empty Space, All Wrong, The Glass, and Small Talk all have very hooky, memorable choruses on WYDS
Those are all solid songs but they don't hold any weight to any other heavyweights that came before them. All the Small Things Basket Case Sugar, We're going Down My Friends Over You EDIT: and I'm a fan of this band as well as others from this era but it's a glaring thing with all of those bands.