Album review: Stateside – Where You Found Me

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always get easier in adulthood. It’s perhaps even more tumultuous when you’re in a band. Missing home and learning to find it in new places, earning a living, maintaining and building relationships, even leaving some behind; it’s all part of the beautiful mess of pursuing passion.

Breakout SoCal five piece Stateside explore just this on their debut, Where You Found Me. Carried by sheer pop-punk spirit in every detail of its 10 tracks, this is a record that yearns for comfort and clarity, and recounts what it’s like to try to figure your shit out when nothing ever feels certain.

The End’s Not Near It’s Here stands out for its stunning guitar intro and a later section of ultra-crisp isolated vocals and drums, while it unpicks loving and letting go. The band really play with structure, forging a rich tapestry of sounds among a theme which can sometimes feel a little overdone. California Calls You Home carries a homesick desperation for belonging, similar to Phantom Planet’s soothing hit on the same state, but much more amped up with percussion that bodies the whole song, unrelenting.

The album’s closer Mile Marker is the most epitomising track of Where You Found Me. Here, they document the feeling of being 28 with ‘not a dollar saved’. Cushioning confusion among buoyant instrumental work that distracts from doom and gloom, it’s strongly executed and widely relatable.

Where You Found Me digs into home, hurt, and looks into what makes you who you are while always on the move. While in parts it doesn’t feel particularly fresh, the foundations are laid for more, marking a sturdy start for Stateside. With pure pop-punk DNA pulsing through its veins, this is one for those who like to keep things classic.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, One Step Closer

Where You Found Me is released on June 6 via Pure Noise