Gotta love the band name and gotta love this sophomore release of this bombastic power pop/ psych punk trio from Toronto. Filled with nine songs about disillusionment, the fucked reality of capitalism, and of course, heartbreak—can’t forget heartbreak, BBQ Pope has dropped UNFURL.
This LP feels like the perfect nod to the early 2000s alt-rock/ party punk vibe with some interesting instrumental flourishes pulling from a varied bin of genres. We’ve got a shoegazey vibe during the building verse and bridge in the opener “Content,” and some straightforward, anthemic garage rock on the tearjerker “Quicksand,”—which sounds like it’s about the opioid crisis or simply friends dying when you begin to age. That one really hit the feels for me. Same with “Old Friends.”
Lead vocalist/bassist, Reid Millar, has this vocal cadence that cuts through the madness, and his lyrics are eerily relatable, or at least his reserved shouting paints a picture that you can easily relate to. “Pop Punk Song From 1994” feels a bit Pixies-coded with its driving bass line and might have one of the catchiest call-and-answer bridges I’ve heard in recent memory. “Pool Hall” also has some of these anthemic shout vocals that are easy to sing along to. It’s kind of like old school PUP mixed with Blink 182’s “Adam’s Song,” which is a compliment. I also love the psych-y lead guitar and the palm mutes, which feel like they would fit next to Sum 41’s “Fat Lip.” All hail the pope!
