If you’re planning on giving a listen to the debut LP from Nova Scotia-based Get Real!, you’ll probably want to pop a Red Bull first, because the energy is tough to compete with.
In the best way possible, Seasick Hotel sounds like a relic of mid-2000’s pop punk. Gritty, overly distorted guitar is a driving force for most of these tracks. Lead vocalist Andrew MacDonald draws nostalgic comparisons to icons from this time. Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects is an immediate one, while some of the heavier songs like “Burning Bridges” bring to mind Tim McIlrath of Rise Against.
The band ventures more into funk territory on “Lifelines.” The heavy bass and melodic guitar in the verses are reminiscent of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, and it’s a style the band leans into quite easily. In fact, most of their outliers solidly earn their place on the album. “King of Vultures” is one of the heavier tracks, but its aggressive pacing makes for a dynamic listen.
Though there are plenty of fun comparisons to be made, Get Real! blends all these influences into their own amalgamation of sound that works great for them. It keeps things fresh and prevents anything from being too tropey for the genre. Edgy lyrics like the chorus in Sweet Talk are made that much more fun because of it. “Darkness is a friend of mine, my only one and that’s just fine,” MacDonald sings over angry, sultry guitar, and it feels like high school all over again – the good parts, of course.
“Sucker Punch”, the lead single of the album, definitely earns its place as such. There’s just so much good going for it — the distorted, melodic guitar, the fun vocals, and the self-conscious love song buried at the very core of it all. It’s a well-chosen single, giving a taste of each of the vibes they’ve chosen to run with for this album.
There’s enough variety here that, regardless of your inclination for the glory days of Warped Tour pop punk, Seasick Hotel is well worth a listen. And if it so happens that a return to the Vans and beanies of yore is what you’re looking for, then the album will definitely hit a sweet spot.