Sad Park "NO MORE SOUND" Review

Pop-punk to the core, Los Angeles-based Sad Park comes full circle and defines their own sound with their third album No More Sound. In these 13 tracks, the band gets personal with lyrics and music that lifts and carries them emotionally.

The short and sweet intro track “No More Songs” opens, with a vulnerable and stripped-back acoustic number that crescendos right into “Always Around”. This sort of nearly seamless transition is a favorite feature of mine when I come across it on an album. 

A good chunk of the emotional heavy lifting is spread throughout the middle of the album. Starting with “OMW!”, the melancholic song with some light in it addresses the thrill and love of touring while simultaneously struggling with the nomadic nature of life on tour. Shimmering guitar and sun-baked vocals make “Watch The World Fall Down” feel somewhat like a party song with nostalgia for the person you would come back to at the end of it all. “I Can’t Fight It” carries with it an urgency from rushing, smashing drums and rapid guitar to lyrics like “I can’t fight it, I can’t win, I won’t go back there again if there’s a chance I’ll see you” which start to feel like a mantra the more you listen.

“Death” is perhaps the tracklist's most vulnerable and real song. While the title of the track and the jangly, nostalgic sound may seem at odds with each other, the up-tempo feel doesn’t take away from the message. This song is a reminder that tomorrow is not a given, to make the most of today and if you have someone you want to spend time with, make the time now.

Sad Park brings it full circle closing out the album with the same honest lyrics that opened it, “No More Sound” is an amped-up, energetic flurry lifting the album to end on a high. Honestly, this album grew on me, it’s not my usual cup of tea but I know there will be times when it is exactly what I want to listen to. If you like shouting or hollering lyrics, this might be for you. Sad Park nailed the balance of softer starts to a build to heavier percussion and deeper guitar.

7/10