Artist: Much the Same
Album: Survive
Label: Nitro Records
Tracks: 11
Length: 32 minutes
Reviewed by: Christopher Thomas!

There was a time – think hard, now – when pop-punk ruled the earth. Not the Starting Line and Midtown pop-punk. We’re talking double-time drum beats, power chords, lots of background harmonies, crowd vocals. No whining, no extraneous, faux-emotional screaming, and for the love of all things good and holy, no stars-and-bars southern rock shtick. Think NOFX, Lagwagon, Strung Out, Pennywise. Yeah, now you remember.

Mostly I think that bands revisiting older sounds is a sign of unoriginality, but on Much the Same’s Survive, I actually believe them. I believe that this is the music that best expresses who they are and what they believe. Yes, they wear their pop-punk/hardcore influences on their sleeves, but the band is not just stealing licks. They sing and play with conviction, and you know just from listening to their record that the band won’t be switching styles when the next big thing comes around. Much the Same’s sound is reminiscent of Craig’s Brother, Millencolin, and the aforementioned bands, but somehow they come away without feeling derivative.

Equal parts melodic and aggressive without being kitschy, Survive is a strong record from start to finish. In fact, with a record this strong, it's hard to pick any standout tracks. If you're into the aggressive pop-punk sound that is "so-ten-years-ago," skate over to your locally owned record shop, pull a few bucks out of your Dickies, and pick up this record.