You know, I never really listened to SAVES THE DAY much back in the day, but after giving CARPENTER’s Sea to Sky a couple listens, I feel like I sort of get what was going on. For some reason, “classic rock” and the likes of Jon Cougar Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen are constantly associated with this Vancouver four-piece, but, in all honesty, Carpenter sound a lot like those Drive-Thru Records bands we all loved in the late nineties. Catchy, poppy, energetic and stuffed full of strategically placed hooks and melodies, Carpenter certainly channel the ghosts of pop-punk’s past, while still twisting and tweaking the sound enough to not come off as repetitive, plagaristic or just plan nostalgic. I mean, yeah, there are hints of John Cougar and Tom Petty sprinkled throughout Sea to Sky, but for the most part, it is just an incredibly solid and well rounded pop-punk record.

What is so refreshing about Carpenter though, is the abundant sense of youth that burst through the speakers on Sea to Sky. There is no pretense, nor is there any egotism or superiority. The the 10 pop influenced punk songs that make up Sea To Sky don’t aim to break any kind of new ground in the genre, but instead bounce around and embrace all the aspects that make playing music fun. And that’s what the core sentiment of Sea to Sky breaks down to: it’s just fun. It’s a fun record to listen to. The technicality wont blow your mind, and Sea to Sky certainly lacks the intensity that makes you want to headbutt the wall or punch someone in the face. But, what Sea to Sky will make you do is kick back, relax, smile and enjoy the ride. Sea to Sky is the epitome of a totally acceptable, incredibly pleasurable record to listen to.

Gold Stick Records / Paper and Plastick Records