Conceived in the small suburb Worcester, Massachusetts, the four-piece, The Other Stars, are already garnering a lot of attention with their debut mini-album. The seven track effort, We Were Kids is the first set of songs from this young, newly discovered band. They call themselves an indie rock band, but they are certainly under the influence of pop-punk and the modern “emo” scene. They play too fast for indie rock on certain songs, and are too tame for pop-punk as well. Either way, their appeal goes far beyond any label, and they’re first release is sharp enough to draw in crowds from both genres.

We Were Kids opens with “You Looked Better At The Party” which introduces you their very youthful spirits with their melodic and welcoming delivery. The song names off friends, references being drunk, and looks back on better days. It’s immediately catchy, but closes with a bridge that slows down to this nice easy breakdown. “Green My Eyes” begins as a lush folk-y riff and handclaps, it’s very sweet and in the vein of a Good Old War song, but blasts off about halfway through into this gigantic, impassioned anthem that leads into the album’s debut single, “Home Is Where You Make It”. The single is everything a timeless pop-punk hit is made up of: The lyrics are full of anguish, the guitars are huge with non-stop leads over fast power-chords, and the melodic verses are outshone by an ungodly catchy singalong chorus.

The pair of “Cape Cod” and “Very Okay” serve as breathing room in the middle of the mini-album. They lean on the more laid back side as mid-tempo songs that really show off how dynamic the band can play. “Cape Cod” steadily winds through quiet moments that steps into a big, impactful chorus, The song ends on a very reflective, almost meditative note. “Caffeine” gets a tad bit corny, but it’s forgivable and passable as an endearing moment on the record. It’s full of “ooo-woo-ooo’s” and sugary melodies and production. This could easily be a hit song if you’re into simple songs, but the punk edge certainly not detectable in this song. The record comes to a close quickly after seven songs with “Providence”, a completely acoustic song. There’s little production; just singer Connor and a guitar which lends itself to be a very intimate and poetic way to wrap up this album. In a way it summarizes the album and wraps it up in a way that brings some closure to an overall very solid release.

In the climate of pop-punk, The Other Stars stand out in a way that takes you back to the time where pop-punk was all about fast music, personality, and big guitar sounds. Their take on the tired genre is palate-cleansing; the group doesn’t sound like they’re shooting for the a spot on the Warped Tour or to throw their name in the tumblr-sphere of Modern Baseball or The Wonder Years. They’re writing earnest, grounded music. This debut has already found The Other Stars on the rosters of labels, management, booking, and PR companies and it’s safe to say The Other Stars aren’t going to be a small band for much longer.