By now the Punk Goes… Series has become somewhat of a cliche due to the multiple Punk Goes Pop release lately, I didn’t even realize they were already in number 5. The album involves some of the biggest names in the genre as well as some of the best and most recognized bands at the moment. This album has it’s ups and downs but i still think it’s a fresh different spin to the Punk Goes… Series. I’ll be reviewing some of the highlight of the album as well as the album in general.

For starters, New Found Glory is in it! when the band put out their single Connect the Dots out of their live album Kill It Live they remembered us why they are The Godfathers of Pop Punk, now they’ve come to bring us a slow-paced acoustic song that sets the whole christmas mood for the rest go the album and for that matter the rest of the year. 

All Time Low have changed their style, I’m not saying it’s something bad but I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with not getting more songs like Coffee Shop Soundtrack or The Beach. I have to say I wasn’t very exited when the foursome announced they were releasing a song with Vic Fuentes but they are on a quest to find their sound, this song is no exeption to this evolution but I can’t help but feel a little bit disappointed, I was hoping for a more punky song from All Time Low.

Real Friends and Man Overboard are bands that have made a name for themselves in the scene and are starting to do pretty good if i may say so, their releases in this album are no exemption, they’ve come to proudly state that Pop Punk’s Not Dead! Father Christmas is one of the most Pop Punk songs in the album and also one of my personal favorites.

The Summer Set has always brought the more pop side in Pop Punk to the point that i’m not sure if I can call them Pop Punk, this is a pretty catchy song and they say the word “christmas” a lot but from my point of view it’s a pretty skippable song.

Crown the Empire is a band I don’t know much about but this song really slows-down things right at the middle of the album and keeps the christmas mood. 

I was pretty stoked after hearing about Yellowcard’s participation in this album, Yellowcard is one of the biggest names in the genre their song Christmas Lights keeps the slow-paced feeling in the album and personally took me to the special place I keep for christmas in my heart. Along with Nothing for Christmas, I Had a Heart, and Father Christmas remind me why i love this genre so much.

Issues is another band i hadn’t heard much about but I loved the feeling they brought to the album, that easy core edge this album was missing was delivered by this band.

Heading toward the end of the album we have Jason Lancaster from the recently broken up Go Radio who brings us a slow ballad and The Ready Set who delivers us one of the poppiest songs in the album.

Finally the last two songs in the album come from Set It Off and William Beckett. First we have Set It Off, who are not really well… my style, the song reminds me a bit of the dark christmas style found in The Nightmare Before Christmas and the songs related.  Finally William Beckett formerly from The Academy Is… I’m not quite sure how to describe the last song off the album but I see it as a very skippable song  and one of those annoying songs you hear everywhere and not a great choice for last song.

The album has everything we come to expect from a christmas song like the bells in the background and the happy cheerful acoustic ballads mixed with powerful and catchy choruses and that Pop Punk feeling we’ve all come to love.

7/10

Track Listing: 
1. New Found Glory - "Nothing For Christmas"
2. All Time Low - "Fool's Holiday"
3. Real Friends - "I Had A Heart"
4. Man Overboard - "Father Christmas"
5. The Summer Set - "This Christmas"
6. Crown The Empire - "There Will Be No Christmas"
7. Yellowcard - "Christmas Lights"
8. Issues - "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"
9. Jason Lancaster - "All I Can Give You"
10. The Ready Set - "I Don't Wanna Spend Another Christmas Without You"
11. Set It Off - "This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground)"
12. William Beckett - "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Stream: http://punkgoesseries.com/
Download: http://smarturl.it/PGX