It sounds like the set-up for a terrible joke: Creep Records founder Arik Victor, Gym Class Heroes’ keyboardist Tyler Pursel, and three other guys walk into a room and decide to create a melodic pop-punk band. The crew dubbed themselves Goddamnit, and they have just released their first album, entitled How To Take The Burn. Clocking in at a brisk 38 minutes, How To Take The Burn is a quick shot of sonic guitars, impassioned vocals, and thundering drums. But despite the in-your-face name and the band’s earnest attempts at punk viciousness, How To Take The Burn is a generic sounding album that never seems to quite find it’s footing.

 

My problem with How To Take The Burn is that it seems to flip-flop between honest-to-goodness melodic punk and pop-punk songs you would hear on the soundtrack of an early 2000’s teen sex comedy. It can be very confusing to go from a song that fills the room with its skull rattling drums and sing along vocals, to a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on your little sisters pop-punk mix CD nestled amongst Good Charlotte and Sum-41 tracks.

 

When the band toys with going full melodic punk, they find success. Songs such as “Citywide” and “Quite Distractions” demand to be played at max volume, with chugging guitars and sharp drum strikes that make the tracks feel like a call to arms. The vocals sound gruff and melodic, with every word sounding like it came from the bottom of his heart. The band also occasionally dials back the speed and tackles slower, passionate songs. The haunting “Dead Sharks Teeth” sounds foreboding and confrontational, and is easily one of the standout tracks on the album.

 

But then the band decides to dip back into pop punk, and the results are a mixed bag. The title track sounds like a generic rocker you’d hear at one of the smaller stages at the Vans Warped Tour. “Same Old Story” sounds like a song along pop punk song you’ve heard a million times. “I Can’t Be Handled” is the band’s best pop punk foray, with toe tapping drums and sharp guitars.

 

Goddamnit also takes an ill-advised foray into an acoustic song, with “It’s Not Astronomy.” Located smack dab in the middle of the album, the track feels completely out of place. It’s a competent song, with emotional vocals and nice guitar work. But with the general fastness of the rest of the album, it feels like a song that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

 

At the end of the day, How To Take The Burn is a good first outing for Goddammit. It shows a band that has promise, but it’s clear the band is struggling to find its voice. For fans of pop punk, it’s hard to recommend due to the melodic punk elements of the album. For the melodic punk fans, it’s hard to recommend due to the pop punk tracks that litter the album. So, despite the genuine talent behind Goddammit, How To Take The Burn is an album that can’t make up its mind.