Neck Deep “All Distortions Are Intentional” Album Review

Throughout the 2010s, the Welsh quintet Neck Deep defined themselves as one of the biggest modern pop punk bands. Their sophomore album, 2015’s Life’s Not Out to Get You, has been praised as one of the best pop punk albums of the decade. This was a career-changing accomplishment for the band, putting them in a light that brought fans to have new standards and high expectations for their future material. With their third record The Peace and the Panic, and now their new record All Distortions Are Intentional, they have maintained a thriving reputation while naturally evolving their sound.

All Distortions Are Intentional is a concept album about characters Jett and Alice, and their perspective of the world. It tells stories of their relationship and them fighting feelings of detachment from society, addiction, and speaking against political contradictions and the toxicity of the media. It has a beautiful balance of pop punk and new elements that make it easily identifiable from their other albums; the biggest one being vocalist Ben Barlow singing in a higher register. It has a solid cohesive flow with something for every kind of Neck Deep fan, delivering catchy new melodies that would work terrifically in a live setting with a crowd singing along.  

“Sonderland” opens the album with a classic Neck Deep pop punk punch while introducing the story’s main character Jett and, according to vocalist Ben Barlow, “giving the listener an insight into Jett’s depressed mindset. It’s him saying that everyone is so concerned with things that he deems to be pointless or not worth anyone’s time. He sets up the story of being alone, hating the world and himself, and feeling detached from everyone else.” It has engaging lyrics that draw you into the world from the character’s perspective, questioning the way the world works and society’s compliance with it. The next song, “Fall”, is when Jett meets Alice. It has a laid-back beat and a simple chorus that is very repetitive, yet never loses its appeal. It’s easy to imagine how well a song like this would do in live shows.

“Lowlife” was the first released single from the record. While it definitely has personality with its radiant energy and cheeky chorus that ironically uses the term “normie”, it did not give me the best first impression as the follow-up to 2017’s The Peace and the Panic. It is a fun song, but maybe not lead single-worthy for a band like Neck Deep. For a song that sounds like it’s pushing Barlow’s vocal range to its highest limits, I expected it to have more of a memorable “hook”, or even a guitar riff that would echo on in my head until the next single released. This is something Neck Deep are usually masters of, and thankfully, other songs did not let me down – some even surpassed my expectations. The melancholy yet subtly hopeful “Sick Joke” has Jett asking Alice for reassurance (Would you tell me that I’m okay? / That I’m still here and I’m not dead). When this released four days before the full album drop, it gave me higher hopes for the rest of the record. The pre-chorus is one of my favorite parts of the album, and it is definitely my favorite single.

The biggest surprise of All Distortions… is the gloomy “Quarry”, an interlude track that sets an ominous mood to transition into the second half of the album. It uses a clever rhyming scheme delivered by Barlow’s lower register that makes this track just as memorable as the full-length songs. It is the emotional and sonic opposite of “What Took You So Long”, the happy love song of All Distortions… in which Jett is asking Alice what took her so long to come into his life, and has themes of finding purpose. The gleeful chorus sets a euphoric mood, as if giving the reassurance that “Sick Joke” asked for. By writing songs this different from each other that somehow work well together on the same album, Neck Deep have begun expanding their horizons past the “generic pop punk” label they used to sardonically put on their merch, and opened up new possibilities for their future releases.

For fans who prefer the band’s earlier work, “Telling Stories” is what an old-school style Neck Deep song would sound like with the polished and matured songwriting skills they have now, while the vibrant “When You Know” has a vibe similar to “In Bloom” from The Peace and the Panic. It also comes as no surprise that they have graced us with another alluring acoustic tune, “Little Dove”, which holds up well alongside the beloved “Wish You Were Here”, “December” and “A Part of Me.” The addition of a mandolin over the guitar combined with atmospheric vocal harmonies makes for an unforgettable serenity, and an instant Neck Deep classic.

The bittersweet “Pushing Daisies” is a perfect closer for the album, about Jett accepting that he can’t change the world, but can still be happy by changing his own world, and finding self-worth without having to make a massive impact. It makes the final seconds of the album count with an impassioned outro that references a few of the other tracks, and ends the record at one of its highest points. This song leaves a lasting impression from its first listen and is one of the strongest on the record.

All Distortions Are Intentional serves an honest reality check in the form of infectious melodies and tongue-in-cheek attitude, while simultaneously evoking a dreamy ambience through use of tone and symbolism. With their fourth album, Neck Deep have found a sound that is authentically their own, setting them apart from the countless other pop punk bands in today’s scene, all without straying too far and staying true to their roots.

Favorite tracks: Sick Joke, Pushing Daisies