Pop-punk for me always brings back memories of being young and dumb, taking long car rides with friends under starry night skies, going nowhere really, singing along to songs from burned CDs you’d find under seats, hoping they wouldn’t skip. Bands like Blink-182 and Green Day obviously come to mind, but someday, one of those bands could be (better yet, should be) Delran, NJ’s All Systems Go.

The bands first record, Garden State Skies, recorded DIY-style in a living room, bedroom and basement, is a strong, first effort that shows their abilities to craft catchy and fun tunes reminiscent of Green Day’s Dookie. From beginning to end, it sucks you in with memorable hooks and energetic songs (one of my favorites being the 420 homage “Flight Deck”), making it a strong debut pop-punk LP. But their latest release, an EP titled The Waiting Room is a clear demonstration of a band well on their way to hitting their prime, proving them to be even more than just another pop-punk band.

While not departing far from the what made their debut LP so strong, The Waiting Room succeeds in incorporating a bit more versatility in its arsenal, such as the piano ballad that shares the record’s title and the acoustic track “Rom Com” which is sure to become a live show sing-a-long. Another difference is the step up in production – the band worked with Jaime GoWell at Blue Light Digital Sound in Mt. Holly, NJ and it definitely works in their favor. The impressive guitar work and instrumentation in general sounds bolder, in a way that brought bands like Sum 41 and Four Year Strong to mind (such as on my personal favorite track “Tj Eckleberg Isn’t Even A Doctor”), and the vocals also shine brighter in comparison to their previous release. Clocking in at only 6 songs, it’s just enough to feed our society’s’ rapidly depleting attention spans, yet leaves you wanting more.

All Systems Go is for fans of Blink-182, Neck Deep, Yellowcard, and Mayday Parade. The band has been playing all over NY, NJ and Pa, and is looking to go beyond in 2020, so stay tuned! To listen to “The Waiting Room” and their previous release “Garden State Skies” check them out on Spotify, visit their Bandcamp for merch, and be sure to give them a like on Facebook and YouTube.