KNUCKLE PUCK - 20/20 LP

Label: Rise Records

It’s evident from the get-go that Knuckle Puck went into writing their third full-length album without feeling pressured, or something to prove. 20/20 bursts out loose and upbeat, like a weight was lifted off their shoulders, and cruises ahead with an instant catchiness in its bouncy title track that almost seems effortless. The opener is simple and as cookie-cutter as you can get, yet manages to be one of their most consumable and everlasting songs to date.

Channeling the likes of Yellowcard and The Ataris, there’s something about 20/20 that feels natural and oddly pure, like Knuckle Puck returned to a songwriting headspace that’s laid back and free. It packs in summer vibes with a straightforward charge that comes out clean and absorbing, proving you don’t need to evolve or pivot sonically to grow in this genre. And at a time when it feels like the world has well and truly gone to shit, the resilient and spirited effort Knuckle Puck put in here is more than welcome.