WSTR's 'Red Green Or Inbetween' - The Embodiment Of U.K. Pop-Punk

WSTR seemed to come out of nowhere with their kick ass EP 'SKRWD', which left fans craving more of that high energy pop punk. Come January 20th, their much anticipated album, 'Red, Green Or Inbetween', will be here, but is it worth the wait?

It's no secret that WSTR's resembled that of an early Neck Deep, but after listening to 'Red, Green Or Inbetween', it seems like the bands still share similarities. One of the things that made WSTR really grasp listeners was their rough and energetic sound, which has softened slightly with the new release. But that isn't to say they haven't succeeded in making a great pop-punk album.

"Featherweight" is a great album opener, with a classic pop punk intro and a catchy chorus, it really gets you into the album from the get go.

"Gobshite" offers a pleasant little shake up in the album, being under a minute long, but packing the same energy as any other song on the album, you can't help getting really into it.

One song that stood out for a mixture of reasons was "The Last Ride". The distinctive intro peaks the listeners interest which is held pretty much throughout. It doesn't necessarily have the same feel as the other songs, but it still works well. The slow down towards the end doesn't seem to fit really, but the build into the final chorus more than makes up for it.

"Punchline" makes a fitting end to the album. The song referencing a theme of almost hilarious bad luck and the way that Sammy felt as a result of his situation. The song really feels like a conclusion song, not being as high paced or intricate as the rest of the album, but it works well and makes it all feel complete.

The album carries on with the same quality throughout, which a lot of albums fail to do, showing the standard and ability of WSTR's song writing. Despite the album featuring not only a softer, more generic sound, but also a theme that seems to crop up in a lot of modern pop-punk albums - dealing with the end of a close relationship - the quartet have managed to create an good album that I think fans will appreciate and love almost instantly.

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