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Man Overboard

Heart Attack

Written by: PP on 12/07/2013 00:30:45

"If you choose the right words, then the girl, she stays" sings Man Overboard on highlight track "Damage Control" late on their third album "Heart Attack", which is either symptomatic or characteristic of the record depending on your point of view. It is basically super emo pop punk where every single song deals about failed relationships and relationships that never happened, but yet it avoids sounding cheesy precisely for the same reasons as their two predecessors did: these songs are sung from a nerdy, slightly socially awkward point of view that many struggling teenagers and people in their early 20s can relate to word by word.

In other words, their career path is following the exact same sequence as New Found Glory when they started out with "Nothing Gold Can Stay", "New Found Glory", and "Sticks & Stones", so it wouldn't be unfair to label them as the New Found Glory of this generation. There is more evidence supporting that argument: they are fierce supporters of pop punk (the whole 'DEFEND POP PUNK' t-shirts and slogans), and they basically channel the energy of all popular bands in the genre from the past few years in a way that's refreshing even if it isn't supremely original. You hear a bit of Taking Back Sunday in the call/response dynamics on "Where I Left You" and on "S.A.D.", the less crunchy, more indie-flavored approach of Transit on a couple of songs, and the emotional surge of The Story So Far in songs like "Boy Without Batteries".

With song titles like "S.A.D.", "Secret Pain" and "How To Hide Your Feelings", the lyrical content is easily guessed and will be problematic for some listeners, especially those approaching their late 20s or older. If lyrics like "So now you hate me? / Oh, how original / Well I'm used to it / Lone, individual" don't scare you away from this release, then there's a ton of instantly catchy, honest, halfway unpolished and edgy pop punk to be found on "Heart Attack". The new generation is taking over the scene (just look at the success of The Story So Far or The Wonder Years), and although they essentially all sound like the bands from the late 90s/early 2000s era pop punk, the young kids don't know that. Either way, "Heart Attack" is a strong pop punk release characterized by its introspective and emotive vibe that explodes out of its shell through some insanely catchy songwriting.

Download: S.A.D, Damage Control, Boy Without Batteries, White Lies,
For the fans of: The Story So Far, Transit, New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, Punchline
Listen: Facebook

Release date 28.05.2013
Rise Records