Words by: Brianna Vacca

Canadian punk band, We Were Sharks have released their newest full-length electricity-packed album New Low via Revival Recordings. Composed of Randy Frobel, Jason Mooney, Will Plummer, Colin Jacques, and Matthew Sears, the Ottawa-based group has taken over the alternative-punk scene by storm, infusing the sound with their own grit and distinguished mannerisms. The album treads on the heels of the band’s previous record Lost Touch, featuring single “Hotel Beds” released via Craft Recordings and pays complimentary homage to the last assemblage of songs.

New Low inaugurates with “Shameless;” a song armed with hard-edged melodies, coupled with Frobel’s cutting vocal capabilities, and symmetrical fretwork. In just a little under three minutes, the song represents the feeling of being absolutely miserable inside but putting on a smiley face and trudging on. The pop-punk rock sound is very much alive and carries on with mosh-pit igniter “Bring Me Down,” which occupies the album’s second slot. It’s of value to the introductory track as it hosts a similar bout of long-necked electricity. It’s heavier, upbeat in nature with all the right arpeggiated strings, with the scheduled minor chord to empathize the frontman’s vexation.

“Over This,” a single birthed before the overall release, finds its footprints lingering in new territory picking up a more contemporary offering this time around. Frobel’s vocals layer a monotonous beat and pulsating electricity. The song was introduced at an appropriate time this year as we were all are stuck in the final stages of the pandemic, and it’s safe to say we’re finally over it. However, in this context, Frobel is over and done with his relationship. Perhaps, there’s a lot of parting with quarantine love as well as we prepare to make peace with the pandemic’s finalization.

Guitarist, Jason Mooney shared, “A lot of songs tell stories, but when we talked about what ‘Over This’ was going to be about we decided to talk about a feeling or a vibe rather than go the narrative route. We wanted to talk about the feeling you have when you find yourself in a place in life where you should be filled with joy, happiness, pride, and essentially every positive feeling imaginable. Instead, you feel lost with no sense of enthusiasm. Although you should appreciate the moments, you feel like you would rather be doing absolutely anything else and be anywhere else than where you are right now.”

“Burning House” is a syrupy ode to a past lover and comforts others who have been in the same situation. It’s the album’s true heartbreaker that’s crowded with angst and buzzing chords — the band is unquestionably reinventing the current wave of edge as Frobel makes peace with the fact that she is not coming home. His vocals are congruent throughout the verse to the chorus and then around again. It’s a smooth precedent for the album’s hard-hitting closer “Ready to Go,” where it’s made very well-known that the act of leaving will not be done on anyone else’s terms. The song thanks conventional punk while stealing glimpses of modern-day alternative work, and simply concludes the body of work.

Frobel shared, “New Low is a collection of songs that we created that focuses on being down but not out. Since the release of Lost Touch, we’ve experienced many of life’s ups and downs. We’ve lost relationships, friends, and family, and have gone through a lot of unexpected challenges that life has a tendency to throw at you when you least expect it. However, no matter what may have tried to keep us down or hold us back, we always take the hit and keep pushing forward.”

Pop punk is not dead after all.

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