Five North officially dropped their highly anticipated debut LP Scumbag on March 6, via John Feldmann’s imprint Big Noise. The LP was inspired by self-awareness – “These songs are very self-aware,” share the trio on their 8-track debut. “They are a reflection of our own lives, connections with people and the realization that how you handle yourself within the ups and downs of it all is really what defines you as a person. We can’t wait to see how they connect with the world.”

Tracks “Drunk Cat,” “Echo,” and “Same Old Story” are the more soft tracks on the short LP, having a mid to up-beat tempo, led by acoustic guitar rather than the mainstream pop-punk sound. Where as previously released track, “This Mess”, varies between the springy pop-punk delight and inky alt-rock, and it has pop-punk riffs. It’s about facing self-doubt, but coming out the other side of it and realizing that even the worst parts of life have a silver lining. The hooks in the track still exist, but there is a slight madness that mirrors the tracks dread quotient. “This Mess” was a great leading single for the record, giving listeners a very classic pop-punk vibe with original lyrics – not to mention a very theatrical music video featuring a slasher storyline.

After Five North wrote “Drunk Cat,” Posey felt that it was the exact direction the band should take when writing the rest of Scumbag. Although the band was satisfied with the pop-punk sounds they were developing before “Drunk Cat,” they still felt something was missing, so they thought outside the box, then destroyed the box in the process. That’s when Five North wrote the synth-pop vibe tracks “Happier Now,” “Echo,” and “Whiskey Breath,” which all helped piece together the sound they have now after the release of this album.

Having the album start with “Drunk Cat” was definitely a smart choice – with fans already having heard and digested “This Mess” and “Same Old Story“, “Drunk Cat” feels like the missing piece for describing who this band is and what they’re all about. An upbeat tune to with an emotional tag line – the ideal track that would narrate a first night alone after a [much needed] break up as you pour yourself a drink and pop up a romantic comedy.

As the album plays through, Scumbag emulates the days of MySpace music [in the best possible way], specifically with it’s track “Echo“- back when our biggest worry was which profile skin to use, what song would play the minute anyone visited our page and of course, who was in our top 8. “Don’t take yourself too seriously, with the monsters in your head/how do you find time to breathe” – a gentle reminder in self care while dealing with all your emotions. It’s ok to reminisce so long as those memories don’t bring you into a spiral with your internalized monsters – after all, it’s about learning to co-exist with your demons and not fighting against yourself.

Five North ends this record off with “Whiskey Breathe” – a song that holds the feel good vibes to the likes of alt band, HelloGoodbye with lyrics that feel familiar but genuine. The song end with the lyrics “Why does this have to be so hard” before fading into a deafening silence – a question many of us are left asking ourselves during a variety of scenarios. Growing up comes with its fair share of challenges – between relationships [both romantic and platonic], becoming independent and figuring out who we are as individuals, it can easily become overwhelming at times. But through those challenges we gain knowledge and grow – we hope those struggles were meant for a reason and not just for us to feel pain, but if they were just for pain at least now we know how to heal.

Scumbag is all about coming to a self-realization and obtaining empathy for people and the world itself. The band hopes that listeners take away some life lessons of love and self-love when listening to this LP. Five North also preaches not to always take life so seriously, and knowing when to. Scumbag is a cohesive, yet varied, collection of tracks that pulls from the bands’ individual and unique backgrounds.