This Time Next Year doesn’t have many new tricks for the pop-punk genre. Their 2009 album, Road Maps And Heart Attacks, is an uplifting record despite its low production quality. Fortunately, some of their songs were catchy enough to prevail. This time around, TTNY show improvement with their new album, Drop Out Of Life. Out for a month and a half already, this album pays homage to traditional pop-punk with catchy hooks and power chords that mimic bands like New Found Glory, Better Luck Next Time, and Good Charlotte.

Complexity takes a backseat to catchy rhythms and sing-along vocals. This album bursts with pop hooks and songwriting that seems simple enough to have originated from an acoustic guitar. There’s more lead octaves played than licks, which puts a majority of the focus on the hooks of the vocals. Pete Dowdalls handles that responsibility with all kinds of vocal harmonies. On “Last Call,” Dowdalls sings a little 1960s style harmony behind Brad Wiseman and Denis Cohen’s rockabilly down strokes. On the title track, “Drop Out of Life,” Dowdalls’s vocal melodies resemble Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, especially towards the chorus. As the album progresses, the songs become more musically melodic. “My Side Of Town” shows their ability to make the music as effective as the vocals. The intro to “Matchbook” tricks the listener into believing the song is going to be better than it is. The chorus lets the song down. “Note” helps end the album on a high note with dizzying guitar melodies and aggressive rhythm. The closer, “This Is An Airport Train,” is a somber tune that falls on its melody to move the song along. It’s not a stand out track, but it catchy enough and packs enough emotion to end the track feeling fulfilled.

Drop Out Of Life is a step in the right direction. Their punchy melodies and conventional pop-punk sound make them timeless. Aside from their The Darkness riff in “Better Half,” they’re what you’d expect in a pop-punk band. But I guess they did have a trick or two up their sleeve.

★★★.5/★★★★★

*This review was composed by Jose Terrero