You can trust Louder
The affection held for the Descendents in punk circles is unparalleled, so their return 12 years after their last album, 2004’s Cool To Be You, is an event to celebrate.
Hypercaffium Spazzinate whips by in a flash of gleaming pop-punk mini-anthems, averaging out at around the two-minute mark but perfectly formed, from the wonderfully self-mocking On Paper to the bitter, pumped-up Testosterone (frontman Milo Aukerman’s view of the clashing egos in the science community he was working in at his day job as a molecular biologist).
Then there’s the moving view of the death of a relationship on Without Love and the frustration at seeing chronic overmedication in the US on Limiter. It’s all smart stuff, but presented with tunes that hook into your brain. They’ve lost none of their spark in the 34 years since their debut, and have the edge on bands half their age. Don’t leave it so long until next time, eh?
Pop punk pioneers The Descendents on their upcoming date at Rebellion Festival
Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.