I was a latecomer to England’s Gnarwolves, and I can safely say that I was missing out. England has been producing a lot of really impressive pop punk and punk rock recently, and Gnarwolves do a good job of cementing that current legacy of quality.

Gnarwolves most recent release, Outsiders, is a great punk rock record. It mixes elements of chorus driven pop-punk, aggressive and fast punk rock, and pop melodies. This band could appeal to many fans under the punk rock umbrella. The album comes out of the gate strong with “Straitjacket”, which immediately caught my attention and drew me into the rest of the record. The song “Wires” has a fantastic chorus that continues to set the tone for memorable hooks throughout the album.

My favorite part of Outsiders is how natural it feels, the songs do not sound like they were written by a specific formula to sound like pop-punk, or alternative influenced “punk”. The songs sound genuine, and as if they could have been written many years before, but still sound fresh. Gnarwolves have done a great job of working a nostalgia factor into modern punk rock, and that is an admirable feat.

The songs strike the right balance between fun and upbeat, and serious and thoughtful, which works to keep the listener from skipping through tracks. The band sounds full for a three piece; I hope that that energy comes through when they play live, for now I will just have to assume that it does.

Gnarwolves have produced a record that takes a jaunt into many different areas within punk rock, but they manage to bring it together in a bright and effective package. Outsiders is a prime candidate for 2017’s summer punk rock sound track.