The Front Bottoms began like every other pop punk band: lamenting against lead singer Brian Sella’s dad and broken relationships. From there, each album has shown a sense of growth that is not seen in the band's previous albums.
That's not always a good thing.
The band was known for being the embodiment of teen angst in 2013, but now, following the release of its fourth full length album, Going Grey, it's left trying to cling to youth.
A lot of the songs on the new album are subdued even compared to 2015's Back On Top. The music and words on Back On Top are still authentic, with the band dealing with impending adulthood. On Going Grey, however, the band seemed to cling to what youthfulness it had left. The band is by no stretch of the imagination old, but the pop punk schtick is no longer as authentic as when the band was comprised of broke college students.
The Front Bottoms' self-titled first album remains, to me, the epitome of dealing with general youthful hardships. The whole album has an authenticity, with personal lyrics alluding to “the summer I was taking steroids/‘cause you like a man with muscle/and I like you.” Although it may not be a true story, the anecdotes in The Front Bottoms’ first album are relatable to general teenage angst and frustration.
Going Grey is a step in the wrong direction in terms of growth for The Front Bottoms. The songs are less pop punk and more in the direction of stagnation in order to remain within the realms of pop punk. The songs are less personal and anecdotal toward the band’s own experiences. The lyrics are more hypothetical, which makes the music less emotional and touching for the listener.
Growing up is inevitable, but stagnation in music is not. The Front Bottoms’ newer music is less personal, making it less emotional. The Front Bottoms’ whole appeal is the emotions in the music, so when the emotions are removed, the music is less engaging to the listener.
The Front Bottoms cannot always be a band of broke college students, but the group can continue to make music that has a touch of raw emotion based on past experiences.
Shelby Campbell is a freshman studying journalism and political science at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What do you think of The Front Bottoms' recent music? Let Shelby know by tweeting her @bloodbuzzohioan.
