Texas-based Waterparks have been teasing their full-length album for months on end now — and fans were finally able to listen to the entire thing on November 4th. One of the most anticipated albums in the pop-punk community, Double Dare comes to us after their epic runs on Warped Tour and the Black Cat Tour with Never Shout Never. With strong ties to the Good Charlotte guys, Waterparks’ new album was definitely something many were anticipating. Double Dare manages to allude to the ever changing music scene and the troubles that come with finding your spot in the pop-punk scene — especially when the scene itself is a difficult one to break into.
Several releases came before the album dropped, but “Stupid for You,” became somewhat of a hit. With an insane hook, a steady bridge, and some insane riffs on behalf of frontman Awsten Knight, we get a track that is definitely meant to get airplay and attention from the pop and pop-rock fans. We love the song and we definitely love the music video:
Of course, considering MTV recently ranked them as one of the “boybands that [could] fill the void of One Direction’s indefinite hiatus,” the music video also pushes back on that headline. But we’re all safe in saying that a band composed of males isn’t necessarily a boyband, right? And considering we don’t call 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low, or State Champs boybands, there also seems to be this underlying understanding that we won’t be calling them boybands anytime soon.
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Some of the best songs off of this album revolve around different mindsets and each comes with playing on a different subgenre of the pop-punk scene.
“Hawaii (Stay Awake)” manages to sound like a summer song — drenched in warmth and joy that typically comes with a summer day. We seem to be kicked in the face with some insane pop tones during “Take Her To The Moon.” Both songs embody the happy, upbeat versions of pop-punk but to different degrees — one reminds you of soft summer days and the other feels like a music festival. Both songs, however, push for a Waterparks sounds that make the beginning of the album insanely different from the rest of the album.
Can we also mention that the beginning of “Dizzy,” genuinely makes us a little dizzy? And “Powerless” also makes us feel… powerless. The song is so soft and simple, and it’s no question that Waterparks are able to accommodate their sound to whatever songs they decide to perform. They could probably cover any song and get away with it.
The heaviest song on this album, “Little Violence,” is filled with a heavy, beautiful guitar stroke, making the song deep and grungy. Left with few pauses, the song is a headbanger straight from the catalog. We definitely recommend listening to this song ASAP.
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This album pushes boundaries on what can and can’t become a track on a pop-punk album. Everything about this album is strong, solid work. Considering Waterparks are still finding their “scene,” we assume they won’t be conforming to anyone’s expectations. They want to push boundaries — and they’re only doing so because they don’t belong in one category. Waterparks are their own category and they seem willing to fight musical expectations to prove that.
