Album Review: Kings of the New Age by State Champs
Albany, New York band State Champs is lead singer Derek DiScanio, guitarist Tyler Szalkowski, bassist Ryan Scott Graham, and drummer Evan Ambrosio. With their latest album, Kings of the New Age, they are here to remind everyone of their place as the kings of pop-punk.
Following up 2018’s Living Proof, State Champs released Kings of the New Age just in time for listeners to hear the energetic anthems that will be the soundtrack for their summers. The album is comprised of eleven tracks and is just slightly over thirty-five minutes long.
Kings of the New Age opens with “Here to Stay,” setting the tone for the album with an upbeat song about a defining experience changing your perspective of a situation. With lyrics like “Right then we were right there / The bright lights in the night air / We got there through the nightmare / It’s safe to say we’re here to stay,” intentions are clear: State Champs has ground it out and made their own place in the scene!
The second track on the album is “Eventually,” tells the story of a relationship that has come to a head. DiScanio details how feelings he tried to outrun finally caught up to him over arguably one of the catchiest choruses that State Champs has written, both lyrically and sonically. The pairing of DiScanio’s vocals descending with a change in the drumming style leaves listeners ready to take a break from screaming the lyrics and start headbanging!
The third song on the album, also the third single released for Kings of the New Age, is “Everybody but You” featuring Ben Barlow of Neck Deep. “Everybody but You” is a whitty uptempo track that makes you want to throw a party and invite everyone but your shitty ex. Not to mention the legendary feature from Ben Barlow where he mentions Neck Deep’s “Part of Me.”
“Outta My Head” is the fourth song on the record and the second single from the album. “Outta My Head” has an explosive chorus and fun echoing parts sprinkled at the beginning and throughout the track.
Track five is “Fake It,” a song about the unsettling feeling of trying to keep going through the motions in a relationship that feels stuck. The song features lots of high sirening guitars in the verses and parts of the chorus. With lyrics like “Waiting on a way to get through the night / Just know I always saw you in a golden light,” listeners can feel that familiar confusion of not knowing what to do in a relationship that has run its course.
“Half Empty” is a change of pace for the vibes of Kings of the New Age with a slower tempo and a more heartfelt approach to the sadder tones presented in the album. Although many of the songs tackle feelings of fallout, resentment, and broken relationships, they do so with a more playful approach while “Half Empty” strips it back and really tells it as is. “Half Empty” also features Chrissy Costanza of Against the Current.
Following “Half Empty” is “Just Sound,” the lead single of Kings of the New Age. “Just Sound” is an anthem for long distance relationships everywhere with lyrics like “Without your touch / You’re still enough.”
The eighth song on the album is “Act Like That” featuring Mitchell Tenpenny. “Act Like That” showcases more whimsical instrumentals alongside a steady drum beat for the majority of the song, although State Champs does not fail to add strumming guitars courtesy of Szalkowski.
Track nine, “Where Were You” is my current personal favorite song off of Kings of the New Age. The song carries a bouncy and groovy energy that makes you just want to jump, especially in the chorus. Listening to this song, one can only think about how fun it would be live.
The last song to have a feature is “Sundress” with Four Year Strong. “Sundress” tackles wanting to reignite the passion in a relationship that’s failing, trying to relive those good moments, and hoping you can hold on to make more.
State Champs concludes their latest release with “Some Minds Don’t Change,” a song about finally moving on because someone else didn’t have it in themselves to stay and see what was to come. “Some Minds Don’t Change” really nails the message that you can’t force someone to change and you have to keep moving forward past them once you’ve outgrown that situation. This song is the perfect one for State Champs to conclude their journey of the experiences that allowed them to become “Kings of the New Age!”
Kings of the New Age is available on all streaming services now and can be found here. If you want to help support State Champs, their merchandise can be found here and tickets to upcoming shows can be found here!
Follow State Champs:
