Harrison Gordon: Spring Break

I found Harrison Gordon while doing one of those music map “connection games,” looking for artists I had never heard before. I initially assumed this was a solo artist. It is not. They are a full on band, AND they're semi local to me, which is kind of cool.

Right away we get early era The Wonder Years energy, closer to “Get Stoked” than the heavier introspection of albums like "Sister Cities".

The first listen did not fully register but there was something there that felt interesting. It was one of those records that sat quietly in the background. Then the relisten effect started.

I found myself humming melodies without knowing the lyrics yet. The songs began sticking in my head in that slow burn way where you don’t realize you like something until it is already living there. That is usually a good sign for pop punk records.

Lyrically, this is not trying to be deeply philosophical or dense. And it does not need to be. The strength is in the energy and the accessibility. The songs feel like they are written to be sung along to, not decoded. Musically there is more layering than you might expect, which helps keep the record from feeling one dimensional.

The biggest downside is their catalog depth. With only one full length release in HG's back pocket, there is not a huge body of work to dive into yet. But that also makes them interesting to watch going forward. They are absolutely on my radar for future releases.

Standout tracks are honestly hard to isolate because the album is consistently enjoyable, but “Loves” is probably the best entry point. It is catchy, cleanly structured, and represents the overall tone of the record very well.

If they keep building in this direction, Harrison Gordon could become one of the more reliable modern punk acts to follow.