5 Best Pop Punk Albums Of 2013

2. State Champs €“ The Finer Things When State Champs released the lead single, 'Elevated', from this album earlier this year, it got an awful lot of people excited. With a huge chorus and a consistently high tempo throughout, it was the perfect single to start a buzz about 'The Finer Things'. Thankfully, State Champs have delivered on that early excitement with an album that keeps things beautifully simple. Pop punk bands tend to like to experiment with the genre, adding in various elements (synths, for example) to try and keep their sound new and exciting - State Champs have simply let their song writing abilities energise this album. 'Hard To Please' has an unbelievably bouncy rhythm, thanks to the stop-start nature of its guitars, while the massive 'Simple Existence' tips its hat to Blink-182 with a huge, shouted chorus and intricate guitars. The highlight of the album has to be the incredible 'Critical' though, originally released on last year's 'Overslept EP'. Old-school drum fills lead into a chorus that shows off Derek Discanio's awesome vocal talents; it feels like State Champs have written the ultimate summer song here. Really, that's why 'The Finer Things' is such an enjoyable album €“ it's an album that takes all there is to love about pop punk from the veterans of the genre and brings it right up to date. The Blink-182 comparisons will no doubt please them but State Champs are forging their own legacy here; this is an album that needs to be heard.