The Starting Line: Eternal Youth

The Starting Line are back. A little rougher. A little more worn in. Still rocking.

There’s no attempt here to pretend it’s 2003 again. But they also are not running from what made them great in the first place. Eternal Youth feels like a band comfortable with its history and confident enough to build on it.

“Defeating the Purpose” is the clearest return to form for the boys. It sounds like it could have been lifted straight from their early catalog, tight and punchy with that unmistakable emotional lift in the chorus. At the same time, it does not feel like nostalgia bait. It feels earned through countless hours on the road and reunions with false start after false start. "Circulate" pulls off the same trick. It could slot into almost any previous record, yet somehow lands as one of the freshest things they have written. This is a weird balancing act that TSL nails to pop-punk-perfection.

The title track leans familiar too, but the difference this time is in the perspective. The lyrics are more thoughtful. More lived in. These are not the MTV pop punkers anymore. They are veterans, and it shows. Not just in the writing, but in Kenny’s voice. There’s grit there now. A little gravel. A little wear. Long in the tooth character shines through rather than taking anything away.

If there is a weak point, it’s the closer. It does not quite stick the landing, which is a shame because the rest of the album builds so much goodwill. It is not bad, just not as strong as what comes before it. A tad boring especially for these guys.

Overall, this is a great and genuinely unexpected return. For a band that once felt like a relic of a very specific era, Eternal Youth proves they still have something real to say. One of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of the year.