“We are the kings and queens of the new broken scene” has become 5 Seconds of Summer’s newest motto since their song “She’s Kinda Hot” shot to the top of the charts. It is the lead single off of their newest and strongest album, “Sounds Good Feels Good,” released on Oct. 23.
The album marks a transition from the band members’ teenage years into adulthood. Their sound mirrors their growth, shifting from pop to more pop-punk as they develop their own unique presence, a combination of dark honesty and optimism.
The band, which was popular on YouTube even before the release of their first hit album, has become increasingly well-known. Though they started their career opening for One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer has chosen a much different path.
Since the golden years of Green Day and Blink-182 in the 90’s, pop-punk has fallen off the radar of most modern-day listeners, kept alive only by bands like Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy. Yet these bands can’t keep up with the changing attitudes and have been deemed “emo” by teen listeners. 5 Seconds of Summer, however, is bringing pop-punk back into the limelight with the band members’ outrageous personalities and infectious songs.
The song “Money” kicks off the album, beginning with what sounds like the members setting up before suddenly shifting into an uptempo song. The track perfectly encapsulates the band’s happy and adventurous spirit, and is a strong start to a strong album.
The second song, “She’s Kinda Hot,” is the star of the album. It was the first and most popular single on the album so far. This song sums up the message of the album―“we’re alright, though.” The song describes the feeling of growing up and accepting yourself for who you are, despite what others may think. The dominant drum beat catches the listener’s attention from the get-go.
“Hey Everybody” has a similar sound to “She Looks So Perfect” from their first album. The song encourages listeners to “live it up today,” with happy instrumentals. The band made an interesting yet effective choice to insert extra sounds into the track, such as a cash register when they talk about money, which demonstrate the band’s uniqueness.
“Permanent Vacation” is another uptempo song, and really highlights their newer rock sound. The influence of “All Time Low” is particularly noticeable in this track, especially in the vocals and melody. With lyrics like “Right now, you’re just another number/Get out, the system’s in the gutter,” the album’s message of finding oneself despite hard times is clearly expressed.
The first downtempo song of the album, “Jet Black Heart” is a twist on a typical love song, showing hope that despite his “jet black heart” they can “start again.” This is the first time they have touched on their own interactions with their demons and the mistakes they have made in the past. Lyrics such as “Every fire I’ve ignited/Faded to grey” were nowhere to be found on their lighter first album, but highlight the maturity and honesty of the second.
“Catch Fire,” “Safety Pin,” and “Waste the Night,” are powerful love songs, similar to the past songs that have made the band famous. These have a slightly darker undertone, however, with lyrics like “broken boy meets broken girl” and “only you can cure my sickness.” Despite the darkness, the members express hope in being able to save themselves, a message that resonates with a majority of the audience and goes deeper than their previous album.
“Broken Home” is one of the most striking songs of the album. With an eerie melody, it details the effect of divorce on kids. It’s a cry for help from a scared kid, speaking to the raw hurt of the end of his parents’ marriage. With lyrics like “Hey mum, hey dad/When did this end?” and “Nothing left to hold, locked out in the cold,” the brutal honesty of the song shines through. The song begins with just a single guitar plucking quietly while the vocals dominate, so that it truly sounds like the band is talking directly to the listener.
“Fly Away” and “Invisible” bring the album’s message back into focus, with lyrics like “I won’t waste another day wishing this would fade away.” They encourage their listeners to take a stand against negative feelings and touches. “Invisible” touches on the confusion of knowing where to belong in the world, which is an easily relatable topic, especially to the mainly teenager-based audience 5 Seconds of Summer is speaking to. This song shows off their vocal talent as they sing in perfect harmony for the majority of the song.
“Outer Space/Carry On” is the last song on the album. It is another song where the influence of All Time Low is apparent, reminiscent of “Runaways.” The powerful guitar is emblematic of the band’s transition away from pop. The second half is a slow song of encouragement, and lyrics like “I got one foot in the golden life, one foot in the gutter” show how the band is leaving their past darkness behind and “letting the good times roll.” This song completes the album with a strong and hopeful note, encouraging their listeners to keep fighting.
With a message of self acceptance, 5 Seconds of Summer’s sophomore album marks their transition away from the light and fluffy tone of their previous songs to the darkness and negativity they and many of their listeners have felt.
