Make Way For The Hurricane: Neck Deep's Triumphant Return
Pop-punk superstars, Neck Deep, are back and better than ever with their new self-titled album, Neck Deep. It’s been a long four years since the release of the band’s universally-acclaimed album, All Distortions Are Intentional, in which the album had served as a branching-point from their younger, more aggressive pop-punk sound to a newer, more rounded-out and mature sound. The new self-titled LP highlights a major change for the band, with the departure of founding drummer, Dani Abasi, with the band’s long-time drum technician, Matt Powles, taking the helm; Neck Deep marks Powles’ first full release with the band.
Neck Deep is a short, but sweet addition to the band’s catalogue, adding 10 powerful new tracks to their ever-growing library. This album feels like it was made not only for longtime fans of the band, but that it was also made for the members themselves. “This album is the sound of us knowing ourselves and knowing our ability,” says frontman Ben Barlow. “It’s unapologetically us.” This album is a culmination of the band’s most impactful work, as it perfectly blends the “gritty” garage pop-punk sound from their 2015 album, Life’s Not Out To Get You and the catchy, melodic tones from their 2020 LP, All Distortions Are Intentional to form some of the band’s best work to date. For those who have not listened to Neck Deep before and are eager to check out some of this album, the best songs to "cherry pick" from this album are "Heartbreak Of The Century," "Go Outside!," and the album's closing track, "Moody Weirdo." The best way to describe the overall feeling of this album is that it will be perfect to two-step and crowd-surf to at one of their future shows, as this release is absolutely meant to be digested live.
Long-time fans of the band will recognize the writing/production duo of the Barlow brothers, Ben Barlow and the band’s bassist, Seb Barlow, that was responsible for some of the band’s most popular work, are back in full-force with this release. Neck Deep has never sounded and/or felt better than they have with this release. While the album only reigns in at a mere 33 minutes, it is a half-hour of pure excitement. Some fans may knock the band for taking a “safer” approach with this album by sticking to their roots, rather than experimenting/toying with newer sounds, but as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (T. Bert Lance, 1977). Nevertheless, the band has clearly mastered their craft and have cemented their signature sound in the pop-punk scene, and this album is sure to appeal to all types of listeners, especially those that have stuck around since the beginning.
Stream "Neck Deep" by Neck Deep on Spotify
2024 is just unfolding for Neck Deep, with the release of this new LP and their upcoming tours in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, and Japan. This year is shaping out to be the biggest year of the band’s career thus far!
Neck Deep is
· Ben Barlow (Vocals)
· Matt West (Guitar)
· Sam Bowden (Guitar)
· Seb Barlow (Bass/Backing Vocals)
· Matt Powles (Drums)
Neck Deep's fifth studio LP, Neck Deep, is out now via TB Records (Terry Barlow Records)/Hopeless Records.
Want to see some of Neck Deep's newer material performed live? The band is about to embark on a massive North American headlining tour with support from Drain, Bearings, and Higher Power:
January 25 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
January 26 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
January 27 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live Orlando
January 29 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum
January 31 – Phoenix, AZ – Marquee Theatre
February 1 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
February 3 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
February 5 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
February 6 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
February 8 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
February 9 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman
February 10 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre
February 13 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
February 14 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora
February 16 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
February 17 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
February 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
February 20 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live
February 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
February 23 – Cincinnati, OH – Megacorp Pavilion
February 24 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
February 25 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed