Whoever’s working on the soundtrack for a new Tony Hawk game should give Upchuck a call. On ‘I’m Nice Now’ the Atlanta five piece come out swinging with a ferocious punk sound, their fuzzy guitars and crashing drums underpinning a meat and two veg approach that’s perfectly suited for pixellated half pipes. It’s fun at times, but not much more than that.
The band have generated a lot of buzz, landing slots at big name festivals, extensively touring and supporting genre-leading bands such as Amyl and the Sniffers. Even legends Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins have sung their praises. In the run up to ‘I’m Nice Now’, then, Upchuck put themselves in a great position to boot the doors down and break out of their support band status. So it’s disappointing that somewhere along the line, things lost their fizz.
Anybody who’s had the pleasure of diving head first into an Upchuck pit will attest to the raw power at the band's disposal live.
Though the band flex their muscles and offer glimpses of that weight, they have, in the tradition of great live bands, fumbled when trying to capture that lightning in a bottle.
In fairness, Kaila ‘KT’ Thompson rips into the songs like a mad dog. Her lyrics and delivery are rampaging, while in tandem with drummer Chris Salado, who tackles a handful of verses in Spanish, they form a tag team worthy of Wrestlemania.
The other side of the coin is that the riffs leading the charge, though cathartic, are far too similar to previous outings and the song structures are often uninspired and samey. There’s a lot of gristle to chew through and not enough meat.
Overall, this is an intermittently satisfying yet stodgy record that lacks the edge to make it stand out from any tape you would find at a basement show. For a punk band with their sights set on the top of the tree, that’s a real problem.
Upchuck Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue November 04 2025 - BIRMINGHAM Hare And Hounds
Wed November 05 2025 - LONDON Village Underground
Thu November 06 2025 - LEEDS Wharf Chambers
Sat November 08 2025 - BRISTOL Beacon
Sun November 09 2025 - MANCHESTER YES (The Pink Room)
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