The Shout - WRITE​-​DELETE​-​REPEAT

The Shout

WRITE​-​DELETE​-​REPEAT
self-released; 2014

3.3 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Pop punk is a genre that has an international reach. The Shout, a four-piece band comprised of Colm Cunningham (lead vocals/guitar), Gavin Elmore (drums), Darren Carlisle (lead guitar) and Dermot Hughes (bass), hail from Ireland but have the characteristics of pop punk from anywhere else in the world. The Shout have done their homework when it comes to knowing what will appeal to the masses. Their recent release WRITE-DELETE-REPEAT contains radio ready songs a younger audience will eat up without much hesitation.

The album starts with “Wait For Me” which is a solid opener that has everything you would want to appeal to fans of the genre. It contains a rumbling energy that starts with a drumbeat that holds everything together. Guitar and bass are strategically placed and the vocalist has a recognizable voice that feels familiar to the genre. The chorus hits fast and hard with crashing drums, soaring guitar and effective vocal harmonies.

The young band’s ironic song “When We Were Young” contains old Green Day style power chord progression that combines with a lot of the tropes you would expect from 2015 pop punk.”The One” is an exuberant, upbeat song that bursts with optimism. The band has some of their best moments when they display some unconventional changes during the verse.

As with most modern pop punk it's not unusual to have at least one emotionally grandiose ballad. There is no exception here with the closer “Where Do We Go From Here.” They implement orchestral strings and reach for the heavens.

WRITE-DELETE-REPEAT is a perfectly produced record that never deviates from what you would expect. The Shout is talented but often seem to be relying on a formula they all but perfected. The fact is that this is such a popular genre and there are so many bands who sound similar to The Shout that the competition will be strict. I would encourage the band to start experimenting outside of their comfort zone and look for the X-factor that could distinguish them from a  genre that is already past its prime. 

Become A Fan

Tweet