Music Monday: Artist Spotlight – The Story So Far

Story posted September 26, 2016 in CommRadio, News by Allison Wulfhorst

Although there are many arguments saying that, “pop punk is dead,” they clearly have not heard the plethora of bands that are keeping it alive and well. Sure, it was a prime time genre in the 2000s with bands like Good Charlotte, Blink 182, The All American Rejects and much more, but there’s a new generation of bands that give those veterans a run for their money. The Story So Far (TSSF) is one of those bands, they have that raw sound that pop punk artists crave with catchy lyrics and great instrumentals.

TSSF formed in 2007 and are from Walnut Creek, California. Their members include vocalist Parker Cannon, guitarists Kevin Geyer and William Levy, bassist Kelen Carpener, and drummer Ryan Torf. They are signed to Pure Noise Records and have released three studio albums.

Under Soil and Dirt:

This is their debut album and a favorite for many TSSF fans, and for good reason. This album is full of catchy songs with hard-hitting lyrics. Most of the lyrics on this record and all of their others are about a lost love and the mix of Cannon’s anger and sadness. The lyrics he writes tell a lot about his past relationship and give an idea of how he feeling. But overall, this record gives an indication to what the band wants their sound to be and they stay quite true to it in their later releases. Some of the best songs are “High Regard,” “Daughters” and “Mt. Diablo.”

Favorite Lyrics:

“You have no idea how unproductive it is to fall in and out of you as often as I do/And lately I’ve been feeling grey but today/I’m alright no thanks to you,”- “Roam”

“This body’s closed until further notice/Wandering too close will get you nowhere fast,”- “Placeholder”

Rating: 8/10

What You Don’t See:

TSSF’s second debut album, which takes the sound they established with Under the Soil and Dirt and took it one step further. Cannon’s writing style is still similar to the first record with lyrics about his past relationship and the songs are even catchier than before. The songs on this album are a bit shorter, with most of them falling in the two-minute mark, but that does not take anything away from the music. In fact, the songs on this record are even better than TSSF’s debut. Songs to listen to include, “Small Talk,” “Empty Space” and “All Wrong.”

Favorite lyrics:

“It’s your fault I’d say/I let this blind me/Forlorn in sullen head/Suffer your ill intent,”- “Bad Luck”

“Of all the roads/I took the wounded way/Of all the words/That you chose to say/There were only three that held any weight/The rest was all just small talk,” – “Small Talk”

Rating: 8.5/10

The Story So Far Self-Titled:

Out of TSSF’s three records, this one sounds the most polished and it was done completely by the band. They have always had that raw pop punk sound, and although it is not as prevalent on this record, it is still there. It is actually refreshing to hear the sound that fans know and love with a different angle. Cannon still continues to write lyrics of lost love, which shows how deep of an attachment he had with this girl. But we can thank their relationship for creating such a talented song writing like him. He also includes a theme of feeling “dark blue” and other shades of blue to represent his sadness. Songs to listen to: “Nerve,” “Phantom” and “Mock.”

Favorite Lyrics:

“It’s harder to attract you/Used to dye your denim/In my parent’s bathroom/I can feel your phantom/All of me is dark blue,” – “Phantom”

“You have to know every place I go/That feeling stuck that I offered trust and it left me solo,” – “Solo”

Rating: 8.75/10

Any fan of pop punk and who has not heard TSSF yet needs to give them a listen. Their sound, lyrics and everything about them will blow you away, leaving you needing to listen to more. That’s the effect their music has on its listeners.

 

Allison Wulfhorst is a freshman majoring in journalism. To contact her, email her at akw5392@psu.edu.