Tearjerker – Tearjerker LP (Little Rocket Records)

It has been a while since we had some melodic punk rock music on our pages, and a debut self-titled album by Tearjerker came just in time for a review. Honestly, this record has been on my turntable since it arrived at our headquarters, and I can’t even remember when that happened last time. These folks caught my attention with Done And Dusted and Love Being Alone, two introductory singles that vividly showcase what they’re all about. Soundwise, Tearjerker is the only band that came this close to something Leatherface played decades ago. This detail comes as no surprise at all, considering both bands are coming from Sunderland. The fact that Frankie Stubbs and Graeme Philiskirk guested at Love Being Alone says it all. It’s a straightforward melodic mid-tempo melodic punk rock with an emphasis on anthemic choruses. Perhaps some readers will stumble upon some old-school emo or pop-punk, and you couldn’t be far from the truth because some hints of these genres are included along the way.

It’s hard to even begin this review without mentioning some highlights. Actually, the entire album is one big highlight, with A-Side being the sole example of how modern melodic punk rock should sound nowadays. Tracks like Done And Dusted, California Dreaming, Love Being Alone, CPP, Home, Dear Malcolm, You And Me, Bad Mind shine with some of the best vocal harmonies, singalongs, themes, leads, melodies, chord progressions, and riffs you’ll hear this year. The semi-raspy vocals perfectly balance between low, mid, and high notes, emphasizing everything the remainder of the band tried to achieve with their instrumentations. The guitars continuously duel for dominance, with the catchy themes and melodies on one side and heavy, cleverly assembled riffs on the other. Of course, the bass guitar plays a significant role in delivering more heaviness, clarity, and depth through equally complex, vividly hearable, warm-sounding low-end notes. This album wouldn’t be this good without exceptional drumming performance based upon moderate, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. All the instrumentations are equally present in the mix, contributing to the overall listening experience.

These guys are clever songwriters, so their songs shine with so many mindblowing segments where all the vocal articulations, melodies, basslines, and beats burst with so much power. The sincere, confident, emotive vocal performance and singalongs enhance every moment of each song, offering more complexity to the ambiance. You should put this debut full-length debut on your radar if you’re into melodic punk rock music because Tearjerker invested so much time and ideas into it, and their effort paid off in one of the best punk rock albums this year. The album comes in red and white vinyl variants, housed in a high-quality record sleeve. They aimed for sheer minimalism with cover artwork, with a white logo on a black background on the front, and a tracklist on the back cover, while the inlay carries band photos and lyrics. You should immediately grab this punk rock gem. Head to Little Rocket Records for more information about ordering.