Emotional lyrics and playful melodies clash

Smoking Popes border between retro post-punk and groovy pop rock in their new album released on October 12th. Into The Agony sounds just like the album title indicates–lyrics that revel in the sadness and vulnerability of longing for someone, but with a dance rhythm that puts everything in its right place. Smoking Popes are a band of brothers, bonded together not only by blood but a collective lust for musical creativity. Smoking Popes take crooning jazz vocals to a punk stage, singing with the intention to leave their egos in the musical air.

Into The Agony is nuanced with the same glimmering sorrow that Smoking Popes have reliably offered since their Chicago origins in 1995, and its punk exterior wires the album with kinetic energy. “Simmer Down” builds with clenched vocals that sound like repressed aggression. The chorus catch-phrase “I don’t wanna simmer down” ignites a rock opera, as the band is liberated from tight-knit orchestration to creative chaos. Tremolo picking sets off “I Can Feel You” with a rigid tempo, soon accompanied by vocals that cry out in admirable desperation.

Smoking Popes neither fit the template of typical punk nor the emo mold of the early 2000s. Into The Agony is feverishly appealing because their systematic orchestration retains a proto-punk garage sound. Smoking Popes’ “Need You Around” is unforgivingly a pop-rock hit, which got its own spotlight in 1995 romantic comedy film Clueless. The band has diversified its sound since but without losing the happy-sad lyrical vocals that seem reminiscent of The Cure. “Amanda My Love” sounds like another hit for another Clueless movie, riddled with innocent desire and intricate simplicity. Wiry guitar and humming bass give the song an edge above the others, and occasional instrumental pauses add focus on the vocals. Gilded with irony, “Get Happy” and “Little Lump of Coal” are dismally pop-driven though maintain a certain punk attitude about life. Cheerful melodies in “When You Want Something” hide the pain and vulnerability that seep through the lyrics, creating a puddle of raw emotion left behind. Into The Agony truly revels in the misery of emotional trauma and does not shy away from controversial topics.

Mainstream punk is stale and overdone–experimental noise rock is no longer seen as revolutionary. The stifling lyricality of Into The Agony sets Smoking Popes apart, as the words have real meaning and real intention. Bending pitches and chiseled melodies add angst to the instrumentation. The gritty chord progressions in “Wish I Didn’t Love You” complement the pop vocal melody, both artfully contradicting the grim lyrics. Soft vocals in “Someday I’ll Smile Again” are just as heartfelt and somber, but the song builds as amplified guitar fills the gaping void of rock. The drums sometimes feel overexerted, but this tireless upbeat tempo mediates between the pop vocals and fuzzy guitar.

Into The Agony revels in a naive optimism and catchy tunes to connect with their listeners. In all their anger and disagreement with the current political climate, environmental demise and the decadence of American culture, their hopeful lyrics and melodies contradict the very misery they sing about. Smoking Popes truly go into the agony with this new album, and they do not waste their time trying to hide that.