Stuck OutYou Won't Come Home

Emo and pop-punk have continued to meld with each other, and artists are realising that ultimate catharsis can be a result of delicate expression met with heartfelt friendliness. It’s encouraging a new wave of sad music that’s played loudly with a bounty of pride, and Melbourne’s Stuck Out nail this style on their new EP You Won’t Come Home.

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There’s nothing that reinvents the wheel of sadcore on You Won’t Come Home, but we don’t need any envelope-pushers yet, we want more of the good stuff and Stuck Out deliver it. Backed by thick production, gruff vocals and warm guitar tones, with a bit of dirt on them to keep things from sounding too clean, the sound provides the perfect aesthetic for the EP. The opener Stitch kicks off with some fuzzy heaviness before immediately dialling back to some clean twinkling, giving us a taste of both sides of the band.

It’s encouraging a new wave of sad music that’s played loudly with a bounty of pride, and Melbourne’s Stuck Out absolutely nail this style on their new EP You Won’t Come Home

The track Self Doubt, goes the pop-punk route with a driving rhythm that begs for a circle-pit, but the detailed personal accounts from vocalist Joshua Walker turn this track into an anthem for the anxious. Grin builds on what the EP has started by dialling up the energy and emotion with a strong, dynamic hook.

The lead single Fade Away slows things down at the right time on the EP, tinkering with a lot more emo proclivities with a steadier groove with a more atmospheric sound and passive vocal delivery. Continuing down the softer path, Linger rounds this EP off very nicely. The track comes off a bit grungy in sound, and borrows from alt-rock melodies but brings them out in a very emo fashion to fit the EP.

If there’s a necessary achilles heel to You Won’t Come Home, is that the vocals don’t show much range. While this does help the expression feel raw, the delivery can feel a bit flat. The sonic palette of the instrumentation can also feel rather restricted, and could be worked on to help provide a higher level of dynamics. With that in mind, this EP is only 6 tracks, and the band are clearly using this release to exercise and solidify their sound, which is undeniably achieved across here.

You Won’t Come Home showcases lots of potential and displays that Stuck Out have honed their sound and the style they want to pursue as a band. They do this blend of emo and pop-punk lots of justice, so there’s plenty to look forward to as they grow as musicians.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Self-doubt, Grin, Linger
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