New Brunswick’s ROMP are a pop-punk band, sure, but put the emphasis on the “pop”: their sugary, synthy hooks are designed for maximum basement-show dance fun. Sure, the guitars are prominent and distorted enough, but it’s the lyrics that really have punk’s personal-is-political slant. Lead singer Madison Klarer fits vulnerable lyrics to ROMP’s super-catchy framework and delivers them with maximum emotional force; these are songs meant to stick in your head and your heart. The second single from their debut album Departure From Venus, “Backfire,” is a keen example of the band’s all-cylinders-on approach.
Departure From Venus will be available March 4 via Bad Timing Records (digital available direct from the band). You can stream “Backfire” below.
