Punk Pop: B-Leaguers’ Death of a Western World

Look back on our year end power pop reviews from 2013 and you can see that The Pop Dogs‘ Cool Cats for Pop Dogs made our “best of” list. So when I heard that the band’s main man, James Styring was fronting a new outfit, I was naturally intrigued. The B-Leaguers’ new EP entitled Death of a Western Heart is a distinct stylistic change.

While the Pop Dogs rely heavily on catchy hooks and chiming guitars, the B-Leaguers are a bit more out of the punk pop mode, their approach similar to one of pop punk’s best, The Descendents. Like the Pop Dogs, the underpinnings are still hooks and melody but the overlying mood is very different. There’s a distinct urgency to their sound. With Styring, Ched Howard’s guitars, Mikey Barraclough on bass and Mark Barrett on drums, the B-Leaguers’ sound is much more aggressive for sure.

Punk Pop fans will instantly dig songs like “Amnesia” and “Lemonade”, as each has an intensity not found in much of today’s pop music. However, the final track may be my favorite. The slower tempo of “Rise and line” lets Styring’s strong vocals take center stage and the melody is simply irresistible.

Pick up your copy of The B-Leaguers’ new 7 track EP, Death of a Western Heart at Kool Kat Musik.