Frenzied, furious, and with a furore that’s palpable, Chip & The Charge Ups bring a kind of power packed energy that has you stomping, kicking, and throwing hands with a rage. The relentless energy brought out from the opener Paying Back the Devil doesn’t dissipate one bit as you roll through this record, it constantly undulates into more and more. there’s a kind of tongue-in-cheek approach to their work that makes Chips & The Charge Ups both endearing and engaging. Just take the name of their second song, “Maleena Made Us Change the Name of This Song to Fit in with the Pop-Punk Community”.
For all intents and purposes, this is them at their most pop-punk on this record. There’s that pointed and melodic whininess that’s delightfully chirpy and upbeat. Simultaneously, there’s a heavy section at the end as the guitar goes heavier and the growling comes through. But it’s in that chorus “I wanna be the boy next door to the girl next door” that that youthful exuberance and teenage angst comes out in through pop-pun fashion. More experimental tunes like “Ultra-Legendary” bring out a certain heaviness and brash arrogance and rage that’s far more exciting and pulsating.
In many ways, this is a record that oscillates free-flowingly between punk across the ages. At one level and in some parts you’re fully thrown into the aggression and spark of punk rock from the 70s with that unhinged and gritty energy, while in others the more youthful and cheery spark of pop punk comes out in droves. That ability to shift and mould the two together is remarkable and makes this record one that’s delightful for any punk rock enthusiast.