Neck Deep – Life’s Not Out to Get You

Kali Ma lean over me
Rip your hand into my chest
Pull out my bleeding heart for the world to see
-Kali Ma

Blending New Found Glory, Bink-182*, and Sum 41 pop-punk seems like a sure fire recipe for mediocrity. However Welsh (yes, Welsh as in haling from Wales) rockers Neck Deep use that formula, along with some strong musical chops, to craft one hell of a great pop-punk record that brings the fun from start to finish.

*Speaking of Blink-182, if you don’t have the new album California get it immediately. Full review is coming but with the addition of Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio replacing Tom Delonge – the latter having switched careers to chase UFOs with Fox Mulder – the band is reinvigorated and better than they have been in years.

Back to the Neck Deep review.

Just like their inspirations, the Neck Deep guys love witty lyrics and dropping 80’s references. “Kali Ma” being a perfect example with blatant references to Temple of Doom in having the singer’s heart ripped out and shown bleeding to the world. You know you are in trouble when even Indiana can’t save you.

Every 3.5 minute song is crammed with huge hooks, gang vocals, and sing alongs all driven with relentless bass and drums. Neck Deep are coming to the Higher Elevation fest in Colorado on September 10th and if it wasn’t for that show I never would have heard about these guys. As it stands they are one of the bands I am most looking forward to seeing.

Check out the clips here then partake in the full album. If you are a fan of the bands I mentioned above you are going to fucking love these guys.

Neck Deep is:

• Ben Barlow – lead vocals
• Fil Thorpe-Evans –bass, backing vocals
• Dani Washington –drums
• Matt West –rhythm guitar
• Sam Bowden –lead guitar