I could bite my lip on any preconceptions about the term “Pop Punk” however I’ve said it before and I will say it again, it’s always a genre that seems to become a contradiction in terms – not enough attitude for punk rock yet not mainstream enough to be considered pop, however at least when it comes to Caught in a Crossfire they always play with conviction and are certainly experts in their field.
As such if you’ve seen the band live you know what to expect with their new “Lighten Up” EP and whilst the opening track has the band in an upbeat yet reflective mood on “Legacy” with melodic guitars and lyrics of a personal nature, they stay familiar to bands of the late nighties/early 2000’s such as Good Charlotte and Sum 41.
Next song in “Bat Shit Crazy” is another in keeping with those obvious comparisons, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for Caught in a Crossfire as they aren’t trying to stray into new territory and are more than happy to bounce along the more poppy side of the punk spectrum, despite language that may well keep them off the radio.
Even when frontman Ben Walton tries to get angry on “Screaming out Your Name” there’s a sense of enjoyment in his voice and ok there may be times across the EP where he misses the odd note here and there, but his singing approach rather than the anti-establishment rants of old school punk is well suited to this particular brand of rock and roll.
Another association with punks is there’s no need to be able to play your instruments, however this isn’t the case with Caught in a Crossfire and the guitars on closing track “Run” are no different, switching nicely between acoustic and electric despite having a slightly rawer sound compared to the production of those tracks that have come before it.
So whilst over produced pop-punk isn’t always my first choice when it comes to the punk rock scene I do like to at least give credit where credit’s due and every so often there’s the odd band I secretly find myself singing along to, even if I don’t always like to admit it.
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