Album Review: Like Pacific - 'Like Pacific'

There’s a simple rule in the genre of pop punk: less is more. As All Time Low’s unpopular and short-lived dalliance into major label radio hits has proven, the preservation of the raw, cathartic energy that makes music resonant is more effective – and enjoyable – than catchy choruses and spot-on cleans.

Like Pacific understand that concept totally. The Toronto boys have produced pop punk that retains its sincerity, edited only to the point of lending some clarity to their music without restructuring the songs into Man Overboard 2.0. In the same vein as Such Gold, it’s experimental and frenetic at the same time that it’s intricate and intriguing.

Similar to Handguns’ ‘Don't Bite Your Tongue’, Like Pacific’s self-titled EP is self-assured and introductory. Opener ‘Sigh of Relief’ is angsty and fast, with the bite of The Story So Far and the gloomy emotional range of Mayday Parade. Like Pacific also show their influences on ‘Suffering’, with shades of Taking Back Sunday taking the floor, but it’s more like a subtle tribute than a replica.

This EP also has depth. ‘Eviction’ impressively flies by so fast that it hardly lets you savour the dynamic components that make up the song, but if you put up a microscope to it you can see its detail, with intense build ups sapping any prospect of monotony from the EP. ‘Clarity’ proposes a more personal, darker approach to song writing, with active lyrics like, ‘you know exactly what you did’ leaving an intimidating impression. ‘105 McCaul St.’ doesn’t have a particularly distinguishable structure, but it makes the EP a journey as opposed to reducing it to something that just sticks in your head. Essentially, Like Pacific do anything but unsustainably rope you in with catchy choruses.

And still, you’ll play this EP again. Its last few seconds let you down slow – an insight into Like Pacific’s ability to branch out into different styles and structures. But it’s equally a foreshadowing of the band’s potential to produce more than just fast, angsty belters (even though they're more than enough).

Not all good music has to be trail-blazing. Like Pacific’s latest EP is both a taster of what they can do and proof that there’s nothing wrong with straight forward pop punk with enough punch to fist pump to. Neck Deep, Real Friends and The Story So Far, make room.

1. Sigh Of Relief

2. Eviction

3. Clarity

4. 105 McCaul St.

5. Suffering