The Story So Far – Proper Dose (Album Review)

Posted on September 18, 2018 by KaydanHowison

The Story So Far – Proper Dose
Released: September 21st, 2018

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Ah, the pop-punk genre. Chances are no matter how heavy, brutally violent or guttural your taste in heavy music is, there’s at least one So-Cal offering that has you nodding your head. Possibly some lyrical passage , as a teenager full of hormones, you related to and took as gospel.

Or maybe it’s a band that defined a more adult moment for you. I’m on a Fall Out Boy kick at the moment, doing the rounds of the nation’s capital in my car blasting Infinity On High, an album I initially missed out on but whose two main singles, This Ain’t A Scene and ‘Thnks fr th Mmrs, was on high rotation on Triple M during my commutes from regional Victoria to Melbourne.

This revisit has left me in a good mood to tackle the release of The Story So Far’s latest offering, Proper Dose. Hailing from California, possibly the epicentre of the pop-punk genre, the band formed in 2007, and their fourth album, while having the staple punk passages, leans more to the pop side of the genre with its vocal arrangements and catchy hooks.

The title track, Proper Dose, opens the album with some high energy, offering an indie-like guitar passage before coming forth with the band’s first of many catchy hooks. Vocalist Parker Cannon has his pipes in fine form and delivers some great harmonies to some pop-punk soundtracks throughout the following Keep This Up and Out Of it.

The Story So Far then slows it down a notch with the more acoustic Take Me As You Please, offering a radio-friendly hook to a light-rock ballad. While it probably won’t dominate Australian radio, I can see this one becoming a high-rotation release for the rock radio of the US. Let It Go continues the pop-punk serving with more anthemic-rock, while Upside Down sees the band slow down again with a more acoustic-pop angle.

More anthemic-punk continues in If I Fall and Need To Know. I’ve heard some great passages and ideas from guitarists Kevin Geyer and Will Levy, but the thing I’m starting to notice with Parker’s vocal lines is the method of overlapping of passages, which sounds ok on record but will be interesting to hear how he manages to deliver every line with the same amount of energy.

A more ambient and electronic sound graces the song Line, marking a departure from the band’s punk markings and into a more pop space, although it makes for a pretty chill song. Back to an acoustic-pop sound for Growing On You, and it’s clear The Story So Far like to massage their pop-hook skills, with the ballad offerings on the album being the most diverse and melodic. However, a rockier Light Year closes out the album, leaving those with a pop-punk craving feeling satisfied.

Proper Dose marks a solid offering from The Story So Far, and while the album isn’t particularly ground-breaking, there’s enough of the anthemic sounds and relatable grow-your-fringe-back lyrics that will make fans happy. Although, those picking up on The Story So Far for the first time might not find anything impressive and may even find Parker Cannon’s vocal style a little repetitive.