Meet Me @ The Altar are done proving themselves. ‘I’m a bitch and my band is an industry plant / At least that’s what it says on the internet,’ sings vocalist Edith Victoria on opener Say It (To My Face). Past // Present // Future might be the U.S. band’s debut, but they’ve already become an unshakable name in pop-punk. As they honour the icons that came before them (past), celebrate their current successes (present), and look ahead to what lies in their already-colossal career (future), the record intertwines ’00s girl gang attitude with fresh, innovative vocal runs, pulsing drum beats and scratchy, distorted guitar.
It’s glittered with standouts. TMI explores imposter syndrome, oversharing and trauma dumping, with a guitar solo that feels equivalent to thumping your leg like a dog scratching a good itch – it just hits the spot. A Few Tomorrows, meanwhile, winds things down amongst the short, jam-packed songs with the low-key jangle of acoustic guitar and the scrape of the plectrum on its strings. It's moments like this that keep things authentic, and far from over-produced.