Arriving amidst an avalanche of acoustic EPs and reimaginings, pop-rock favorites State Champs share a collection of mostly new material that fans won’t soon forget.
State Champs has never quite fit the mold of an alternative band. Too pop for the punk kids and too punk for the pop world; the upstate New York-based group has always found success on their terms. They don’t need radio or Rolling Stone to pay attention because young audiences around the globe are connecting with their music. Their songs speak to the struggle of growing up and navigating relationships in our increasingly complicated world.
If the age of COVID-19 has given us anything worthwhile in music, it’s a seemingly endless supply of unplugged and reimagined releases. Every week it seems that multiple artists are stripping down or otherwise reworking their biggest hits to keep fans engaged while touring remains impossible. It’s smart business because these releases usually cost very little to produce, but so many artists are attempting to cash in that most EPs of the sort are getting lost in the shuffle.
Enter Unplugged, a simple title for a release that is anything but. Rather than giving into tradition and releasing different versions of proven material, the men in State Champs are giving fans four new tracks (and two acoustic reimaginings—just for good measure) that look toward the future. The intimate nature of the recording allows for the group’s talent to shine through. There is no room for production wizardry or inauthentic lyricism. State Champs share who they are and where they want to be, all while delivering big hooks with catchy melodies.
“10 AM,” one of the lead singles from the Unplugged, captures the release’s energy with a mention of wanting something different. The entire affair feels made for summer, with shimmering electronics on top of a driving acoustic line and drums played with brushes. If it were electric, which it seems destined to become, the song would bring crowds together in gang vocals that emphasize every syllable of the chorus. As is, however, it’s a reflective track about learning to love yourself in times when your best isn’t good enough.
Another track, “Crying Out Loud,” delivers an instantly memorable riff that gives way to piano accompaniment that adds dramatic heft to the affair. Love and longing remain a focus of the lyrics, but the sentiment is different. After years of rejection, anyone in their right mind would begin to question the value of letting others in. Heartache tends to make us numb. That’s how our hearts and brains work to protect us when we feel hurt. State Champs know that feeling all too well, and they’ve lived long enough to understand it’s no way to live. Love is the one thing worth fighting for, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.
