Neck Deep began just a little over ten years ago in a spare room in Wrexham, Wales, UK. Now, these pop punk legends are continuing their legacy with their fifth LP, Neck Deep. This LP is an acknowledgement that “the more things change, the more – in some ways at least – they stay the same.” 

Brothers Ben and Seb Barlow, guitarists Matt West and Sam Bowden, and drummer Matt Powles, make up the five-piece that never fails to top the charts, sell out shows, and carry on a following that is growing each and every day. They’ve gathered over 3.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and a combined 1.6 million across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Four tracks off their self-titled EP – “We Need More Bricks”, “It Won’t Be Like This Forever”, “Take Me With You”, and “Heartbreak of the Century” – have already been released and have over 11.6 million streams on Spotify and 2.2 million views on YouTube. The numbers speak for themselves, but the music is what does the real talking. 

“This album is the sound of us knowing ourselves and knowing our ability,” says frontman Ben Barlow. “It’s unapologetically us. We’re professional songwriters now and we’ve really honed in on what we’re good at – but it’s also about having fun and enjoying writing these tracks. And there are those little sonic signatures in the mix that even I can’t really put my finger on that just make it Neck Deep. It happens when we get in a room together and it clicks - it’s us just doing our thing like we always have.”

Neck Deep Tracklist:

1. Dumbstruck Dumbf**k 

2. Sort Yourself Out 

3. This Is All My Fault 

4. We Need More Bricks 

5. Heartbreak Of The Century 

6. Go Outside! 

7. Take Me With You 

8. They May Not Mean To (But They Do) 

9. It Won’t Be Like This Forever 

10. Moody Weirdo

“Dumbstruck Dumbf**k” starts the LP off with an explosive beginning that you simply cannot ignore. This first track also seems to open up one of the themes of the album, which is not feeling as though you’re as “perfect” or as “put together” as others in your life and learning to be okay with that. Being a “Dumbstruck Dumbf**ck” may have its downfalls but as the song says you “can’t help thinking what you’re missing”. “Sort Yourself Out” follows suit by putting us in the shoes of someone who constantly apologizes with flowers, is always dodging fights, and simply can’t find their footing in an ideal world. 

Much like their live shows, Neck Deep is known for their attention grabbing techniques and high energy. “This Is All My Fault” switches up the tone of the album but still carries on drummer Matt Powles’ signature drumlines and emphasizes the pop punk genre with movement-inducing guitar riffs.

Next up, “We Need More Bricks” is one of the four songs released as singles for this album, along with the fifth track, “Heartbreak of the Century”, the seventh track, “Take Me With You”, and finally the second to last track of the LP, “It Won’t Be Like This Forever”. It’s not a surprise that Neck Deep chose to release these tracks before the full album as they really emphasize who this band is. If you’ve ever experienced a Neck Deep show in-person, you will easily be able to see the crowd cheering, jumping, and crowd-surfing along to each and every one of these singles. The rest of the album holds a few unique tracks, but you’ll have to listen for yourself to understand.

We feel as though “Go Outside!” stands out among the rest of the album. Although, in all of the best ways. The vocals behind this track are a tad slower than most and easier to follow along with on the first listen. Perhaps done intentionally, this stylistic choice assists in spotlighting the song’s message. Personally, this is our favorite track on the album. We can’t wait to hear it live at a Neck Deep show in 2024!

Ending on a strong note, “They May Not Mean To (But They Do)” and “Moody Weirdo” build on the LP’s conclusion and are the last two tracks released with the full album. “They May Not Mean To (But They Do)” sounds like an apology note from a child about their parents. Essentially explaining that our parents didn’t mean to screw us up, but in some ways isn’t that inevitable? This song also stood out to us because of this unique message. We feel as though we haven’t heard a child and parent relationship expressed so outwardly in modern music, especially when other topics seem to take the forefront of most genres. “Moody Weirdo” is exactly what you’d expect from a Neck Deep track and gives us the perfect ending to their fifth, self-titled LP. Encompassing everything that fans love about Ben, Seb, Matt West, Sam, and Matt Powles, Neck Deep not only show us that even after a decade they are still the same moody weirdos they were back in that spare room in Wrexham, but that you should follow suit. 

Check out their 2024 show dates here and buy a ticket if you can! After listening to this LP, we promise you’ll want to be right in the middle of the mosh pit.