College Times

Media Credit: Lisa Johnson

If last year’s The Walking Wounded – written during grieving over the death of drummer John “Beatz” Holohan – was born out of loss and tragedy, Bayside’s newest record Shudder plays like more of a “what now?” than anything else.

Wounds that were once fresh, providing ammo for dark pop-punk tales of mourning, have at least scabbed over by now. And this time around, the band instead cites a hectic, whirlwind schedule as the biggest factor in the sound of the record, having been written almost entirely in a makeshift tour bus studio.

But busyness doesn’t necessarily breed progression. Shudder, consequently, sounds like a record running in place.

There are no stinkers to be found, and Bayside’s ability to write sing-along hooks shouldn’t be discounted. The bouncy “No One Understands,” tribute to Howard Hughes, “Howard,” and optimistic “I Think I’ll be OK” should be able to move crowds just fine. And “I Can’t Go On” is proof that “emo” doesn’t have to be either contrived or juvenile.

But as a whole, Shudder plays like a prolonged blur, spurning the peaks and valleys of emotional recovery for a level, considerably less-interesting brand of pop-punk.

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