“One more song” the crowd chanted incessantly as Upchuck’s album release show at Aisle 5 came to a close. At the behest of the fans, lead singer KT stumbled back to the mic stand. Guitarist Mikey strummed the intro to the band’s self-titled track from their debut album as the crowd opened up for one last mosh pit. Right on cue, KT screamed “Stop Cop City!” before diving backwards into the arms of the frenzied fans.
The Atlanta-based punk-indie outfit broke into the local punk scene in 2018 and later saw a quick rise in popularity with their chaotic live shows and smashing 2022 debut “Sense Yourself.” Following their first record’s success, the anticipation for their second project “Bite the Hand That Feeds,” released Oct. 13, could not have been more palpable. This anticipation was warranted: fans should be thoroughly satisfied with this sophomore effort. Upchuck masterfully replicated iconic aspects of their sound from “Sense Yourself” while mixing in some unique cuts, giving their album a familiar feel with novel energy and pace.
The band exposes fans to the newer aspects of their sound right off the bat with lead single “Freaky.” This track is energetic to an almost frantic level, making it one of the most entertaining Upchuck songs to experience live. “Freaky” contrasts the band’s typical sound from “Sense Yourself,” which was often filled with an intense wall of guitar over a slower, stomping drum beat. The tracks then build into a faster middle section, as exemplified on “Wage for War” (2022).
With the exception of “Freaky,” the first half “Bite the Hand That Feeds” follows this trademark Upchuck formula, still pumping out sublime highlights like “Hush Toy.” However, Upchuck exercises much more sonic subversion in the second half of the album.
With its fifth track, “Crashing,” the album starts to vary to a much larger degree. “Crashing” itself is the track that strays the most from the rest of the tracklist, crafting a similar feel to the band’s 2022 hit “Facecard.” These songs have much more of an indie rock sound compared to the rest of the band’s hardcore punk-centric catalog.
“Hierba Mala” is an energetic, angsty song written in Spanish and sung by drummer Chris Salado. The rhythm gives this track a pace comparable to “Freaky.” So far, Upchuck has set a precedent of featuring Salado on a Spanish track on every album, with “Hierba Mala” and “Perdido” (2022).
The instrumentation in “Bite the Hand That Feeds” is perfectly balanced between stylistic noisiness and careful efforts not to overshadow KT’s vocals. The drums drive the album’s pace, making it feel even shorter than its 33-minute runtime. “Hush Toy” highlights this skillful exercise in rhythm and speed. The guitars keep pace with the drums at times while backing KT’s vocals at others, providing melody while also delivering a consistent wall of sound. KT’s vocals match the instrumentation perfectly, with plenty of energetic screaming and poppy choruses.
While the sound of “Bite the Hand That Feeds” is angsty, energetic and punk, sometimes the lyrics paint a different picture. Although songs like “Freedom” and “Scrugg” boast Upchuck’s typical conscious political messaging often associated with the punk scene, not all tracks follow this theme. “Crashing” discusses young love, while “Freaky” is about unabashed confidence and a fast-paced lifestyle. Part of what makes Upchuck so unique is their combination of punk, indie rock and pop themes both instrumentally and lyrically, and this is evident in the group's sophomore project.
The album’s sound makes for an absolutely electric live experience. “Sense Yourself” is meant for hard head-bobbing, but this new album leads to frenzied jumping, emphatic kicking and stage diving. This was epitomized at the album release show.
As soon as KT and the band emerged on stage, the fervor began. Mosh pits were sweaty and frantic, and crowd surfing occurred during every song. It was utter chaos in the best way possible. Highlights included the band sending a man wearing an alien mask head-first off the stage and KT nearly passing out from performing so passionately. “Bite the Hand That Feeds” is a haywire, well-crafted and energetic follow up to Upchuck’s debut and a must-see live experience.
