When we talk about pop-punk I, and I suspect you do this too, think about bands like Green Day and may drift off to Sum 41 and more bands like that had their prime in the late nineties and the early noughties. Spanish band Lisasinson play something that can only be described as pop-punk, but their sound has little in common with the bands that are usually hinted at with this description.
Before we dive into that, let’s properly introduce the band. Lisasinson is a Spanish band from Valencia. They released a bunch of singles and an album (although it is referred to as a mini-LP on their bandcamp. I consider half an hour of punk influenced music as a full-length) and went through some line-up changes before releasing Un Año De Cambios. Although the band is now reduced to a duo, this does not stop them from releasing a new album.
Being reduced to a duo somehow sharpened their focus. This sophomore album sounds more clear on the sound the band strives for. I even dare to say: it sounds a bit more mature. The songwriting is upped a bit, the production is a bit stronger, but especially the vocals are better. The singer sounds like she has a lot more confidence this time around. This makes the lyrics hit harder. I have to be honest here: I do not speak Spanish, but have translated the lyrics. It is more about the intent with which these lyrics are uttered than about me really feeling them.
By now it is time to talk about the strange denominator “pop-punk” again. Rid your head of everything you usually connect to the term. Think more about Rata Negra, but more poppy. That also means that Lisasinson is a perfect fit for the Spanish punk scene, a scene that I enjoy for their incredible sense of melody. On other tracks the band sounds a bit more dreamy, like what I imagine Beaches (the Australian psych-rock band) would sound like if they would jam to Bleached debut album. If you mix this with the occasional bass-lines that remind me of a less gloomy Joy Division influence you are about to get an image of what I have listened to with great joy the last weeks.
The album lasts a little over half an hour, yet in that half an hour you are treated to pretty diverse songwriting. This only makes the album stronger and interesting. One moment the band is more punky, the next we are entering something that is eerily close to post-punk territory. There are dreamy, almost psych rock moments, more rocky songs and it all fits the band like a glove. They fooled me for a moment with the closing song “Todo Mal” as I thought for a moment they covered “We Could Be Heroes” by David Bowie. After a few moments the song takes a turn and becomes a beast of its own.
I have only praise for this album. I have played it numerous times the last couple of weeks and I expect to continue to do so for a while. To me this album sounds like the sonic equivalent of a relaxed sunny day. In other words, a perfect summer album. I would not be surprised if this album turns out to be my summer album of 2023 in fact. I highly recommend you give this a chance.
