Pop-punk band WSTR have released their debut album Red, Green, or Inbetween.

By Jane Howkins. 

Liverpudlian pop-punk band WSTR are back with more of the same on their new album Red, Green, or Inbetween, and it’s fairly safe to say that if you liked their last E.P. SKRWD you’ll probably like this.

We did a review of SKRWD a couple of months ago, and whilst we did enjoy it we found it to be a little generic at times. Nothing much has changed on their new release which is a bit of a shame, however considering that it’s the band’s début album, it’s not too shabby. It’s not uncommon for a new band to play it safe, and it’s usually on later releases that the experimentation and evolution starts to happen, so it’s not too much of a concern at this stage.

One thing that is clear at the start is that WSTR are a very energetic, young band, with an immense passion for the music they create. This is a good sign in a world where suspicions have been raised about the motives of bands in similar circumstances, with some suggestions that certain other pop-punk bands are more manufactured than the impression they give off. WSTR on the other hand sound like the real deal, and there’s a passion and feeling in these songs that never sounds feigned. Their songs are upbeat and joyful, but there’s a darker edge hidden in the background, and that’s something we would like to see come to the forefront a little more in the future. The production is a little fuzzy in places and it would sound nicer if it were sharpened up, but we expect that is something that will also come with time (and money).

Casual pop-punk fans will lap this up, however it might be somewhat samey for the old guard. However, for a début album it’s pretty good, and we can only hope that WSTR’s next release ups the ante a little more.