Pass Away – ‘Thirty Nine’

By and large, punk has connotations of being an aggressive, reactionary and often political genre of music. Conversely, pop-punk has a reputation of being whiny and overly emotional, lacking the edge of its parent. Recent years, however, have seen a middle ground emerge that’s equally as emotional as it can be aggressive. It’s in this latter category that Pass Away fall. What started life as a side project for members of I Am the Avalanche and Crime in Stereo now feels like a fully realised band, creating the kind of cathartic and emotional punk rock will appeal to fans of The Menzingers, The Flatliners or Iron Chic. ‘Thirty Nine’ is the band’s second album and, while their debut was a short and scrappy affair, this time things feel fuller and more considered; the production far cleaner th...