Album Review

Major League – Hard Feelings

• 7th Nov 2012

Major League are the latest pop punk band straight out of Jersey, to be signed to No Sleep Records, with the likes of The Wonder Years, Balance and Composure and Into it. Over it. Released on November 13th, Hard Feelings is the first full length album from the pop punk five piece.

On first hearing the intro song ‘Hard Feelings’, ‘meh’ came into mind, trailing into ‘Pop punk is just all the same isn’t it?’, however as I got In deeper I found myself overcome with that feeling pop punk gives you. If you’re a pop punk enthusiast, you’ll know what I mean. I am of course talking about that ‘let’s go on a road trip and have a bunch of laughs with pals’ feeling, followed with the summer sun.

The ten track album gets better with each track. ‘Nightmares’ or ‘Homewrecker’ being personal favourites, I’d find it hard for fans of this genre to not like what they hear. The band are pretty generic as pop punk goes, from song play, structure and long repeated choruses, but it doesn’t stop this being an album you can’t turn off. I went from expecting to be bored, to being excited upon the start of each track, especially by the second listen. Not bad for a band only going since mid-2009.

Lyrics about break ups, missing someone and good friends, you’re sure to sing-along and know the words after one listen and of course potential mix tape material for that someone special, if you’re into that. Not since The Story So Fars ‘Under Soil & Dirt’, have I listened to an album this addictive and found myself scrolling through their merch to see what I could purchase.

The whole album has plenty of those group singing moments, making them a perfect live band, where the whole crowd would throw themselves towards the stage to scream their hearts out. Currently doing a mega tour in the US, the New Jersey guys have yet to tour the UK, but I can imagine they would be gracing our shores next year.

It won’t be long till you’ll be seeing an abundance of their t-shirts and crew necks all over the place. An album I could quite easily have on repeat (and have done whilst writing this), I predict this band are going to be a hit within the genre. They’re not exactly unique, but that doesn’t stop the Major League from becoming huge – it’s a grower in the way all catchy pop punk is. The debut single ‘Walk Away’ available now.

Venue: Hard Feelings
Support Band: No Sleep Records