Igniting a new era of pop punk melodic urgency with their sophomore album
I recently had the opportunity to be among the first to hear ‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘ by Chief State. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, this was my first time reviewing a Canadian band, which made the experience even more exciting. What follows is my honest take on the album.
Chief State explain: “The album that very nearly didn’t happen. In 2023/24 we found ourselves in a game of musical chairs with members moving on to new paths. When Joe and I were the last two standing, we had to decide whether to continue or call it a day – so we wrote a song. That was all it took to reignite everything. This record is ten years of grit and determination. It’s about getting back up when you’re knocked down, about friendship, hardship, betrayal, love, anger, isolation – life. Recording again with our longtime producer Tim Creviston felt like watching the full potential of Chief State come together. It’s our most authentic, most collaborative, and best work to date.” – Fraser, Nik, Joseph, Bran & James.
The first track ‘No Brakes‘ was released as the first single from ‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘:
The next single release was the title track ‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘:
‘April Showers‘ dropped in February this year:
Most recent single ‘DAMN!‘ came out last month:
Chief State do an excellent job capturing the in-your-face, punchy pop-punk sound that many listeners who grew up on bands like Green Day and Fall Out Boy will immediately recognize. The instrumentals carry a high level of energy, making you want to get up and move like it’s the early 2000s at a packed punk show. The vocals are strong and complement the instrumentals well, reinforcing that nostalgic yet still engaging sound. This energy remains consistent throughout the album, something fans of the genre will likely appreciate.
That said, the consistency is also where the album begins to lose some of its impact. With twelve tracks, the project feels overly uniform at times. While none of the songs are inherently bad, they tend to blend together, making it difficult for individual tracks to stand out. There were moments where I found myself anticipating how a song would begin – and more often than not, I was correct. A bit more variation in structure, tone, or pacing could have helped keep the listening experience more engaging across the full length of the album.
Overall, ‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘ is a solid project that successfully delivers the core elements of pop-punk. However, introducing more diversity between tracks could elevate it from a good album to a more memorable one.
‘Keep Your Friends Closer‘ came out on April 17 via Mutant League Records – stream HERE and buy a copy on vinyl HERE and on CD / vinyl HERE
Catch Chief State at their hometown album launch show on May 9th at The Pearl on Granville, Vancouver BC – tickets HERE
Main Photo Credit: BRANDYNN LEIGH
- No Brakes
- Resonate
- April Showers
- DAMN!
- Metaphors
- Can’t Let Go
- Paranoia (Feat. Stu Ross)
- Over It
- Falling
- Loser
- Somebody
- Keep Your Friends Closer
Follow Chief State on Their Socials:
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