If American Football went totally pop-punk, you'd get Real Friends. These guys are the defining example of how to blend emo and pop-punk to full effect. If you were familiar with their old music, then it'd come as no surprise how much of the album is draped in depressive tones and stories of heartbreak, but much like its predecessors, Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing ends up being more than just a coping mechanism. In fact, it's pretty good therapy.

You'll need thick skin when the themes of weight loss and romantic fuck-ups hit. But as someone who's really grown tired of the bland music Fearless Records put out, this is a rare breath of fresh air. Dan Lambton's lead vocals with bassist, Kyle Fasel, backing him up offer up a nice spin on pop-punk in the sense that they dirty up a lot of the production. The vocals aren't clean-cut and end up gritty/rough enough to lend a strong sense of indie/DIY to the record. It's a welcomed feel. Polished but not too polished. This can be seen on tracks like "I Don't Love You Anymore" and the closer, "...And We're Just Changing".

The titles say it all right? Emo as fuck. That aside, they're anthemic and catchy when need be yet so scattered about and at times, all over the place. Makes for an emotional trip. There are a lot of twinkly, low to mid tempo jams for fans of Jimmy Eat World, Brand New and Saves The Day to hook onto but you can't fight the fact that as a pop-punk album, one or two tracks do get a tad repetitive and could have been left out. However, the balance and versatility on Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing hold a lot of ground because of melodic tracks like "Old Book" and the angsty ballad in "Sixteen". Feels pulled from a teenage boy's diary. It's this undiluted and non-watered down honesty which resonates throughout in a pained record for hopeful romantics. It's a pleasant yet hurt-filled surprise.