January 9th, 2014 
Troy Sennett 
Artist: Neck Deep
Album: Wishful Thinking
Genre: Pop Punk
It’s a testament to the power of the internet that Neck Deep’s debut album, Wishful Thinking, is one of the most anticipated pop punk releases of 2014. The band was formed less than two years ago, and they’ve played only two shows on American soil, but message boards and Tumblr blogs are raving about the Wrexham, UK quintet, and rightly so.
If you’re familiar with Neck Deep’s previous EPs, Rain In July and A History of Bad Decisions, there won’t be much in the way of surprises on Wishful Thinking. What you will find is improvement, and lots of it. The rhythm section is tighter, the guitar melodies are stronger, and frontman Ben Barlow has truly come into his own as a vocalist. The final product is a more confident and cohesive band than was present in the past, and it rubs off on the listener. For example, when Barlow belts, “Passed out in the living room, moved on but I’ll see you soon,” in the anthemic, half-time chorus of opener “Losing Teeth,” you won’t think twice about yelling right along with him.
Much of Wishful Thinking sits comfortably in the neighborhood of The Story So Far, Handguns, and the first two Wonder Years records, with a healthy mix of anger, angst, and perseverance set to pop punk riffs that are equal parts Drive-Thru and Bridge Nine. The highlight of the album, “Zoltar Speaks,” however, reaches a little further, drawing on skate punk influences for its furiously fast verses and high gain guitar lead. It’s not far enough removed from the rest of the album to count as real variation, but it’s a hint that there’s a little more to this band than meets the eye.
On the downside, Neck Deep still suffer from many of the same problems as their contemporaries. Like The Story So Far’s What You Don’t See and Man Overboard’s self-titled album, Wishful Thinking tears through its thirty minutes with barely a moment to breathe. One fast, loud song rushes right into the next, and the result occasionally verges monotonous. However, the barrage of punk rock in tracks one through eleven does serve to heighten the impact of “Candour.” The closing song is the closest Neck Deep comes to a ballad on this album, but it’s a format they should consider using more often, especially since it worked so well for them on “A Part of Me” from Rain In July.
The bottom line is that Neck Deep is a pop punk band and Wishful Thinking is a pop punk album, no more and no less. There’s nothing groundbreaking or game-changing to be found here – only a strong, confident entry into a popular genre – but if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re not likely to be disappointed.
Score: 7.5/10
Review written by Troy Sennett
- Driver Friendly Debut New Song, “Everything Gold” - June 17, 2014
- The Gaslight Anthem Announce ‘Get Hurt’ - June 16, 2014
- WEEKLY WAX: Vinyl Releases For The Week Of 6/8-6/14 - June 14, 2014
Posted in 
Tags: 