The Swiss-based pop-punk band Give Me A Reason have created a solid debut record in Vice Versa. Produced by Blake Roses (Oh, Weatherly), the band comes storming onto the pop-punk scene with vibrant guitars, bouncy vocals, and solid songwriting. The band’s sound is reminiscent of early All Time Low, with a mix of Boys Like Girls and Cartel thrown into the mix. While the band doesn’t stray too far from their influences, the music that comes pouring through the speakers is undeniable ear candy.
The set kicks off with the ultra-catchy first single, “Sad,” which is a song about the people trying to hold you back from pursuing your dreams. Give Me A Reason walk through the song with professional ease as they build up to a massive and melodic chorus. Lead vocalist Mattia Di Paolo does a great job of showcasing his vocal range as he goes into his higher register. Guitarist Max Welti creates some nice riffs on tracks such as the vibrant “Color” and “Blue,” with the latter track speeding up the tempo to tell their story through their music.
The recently released single, “Funny” features some tongue-in-cheek lyrics as well as back-up harmonies to round out their repertoire of songwriting. The crunchy guitars fit well with their lead vocalist’s cadence and range, and the rest of the band rallies around the sound to make for a solid song. Other songs like, “Blur” and especially the album closer “Bye Bye” wear their influences proudly on their sleeves and bounce along melodically for some well-crafted pop-punk.
While the band does not cover too much new ground in the pop-punk genre, they do their best to create some fun music than has plenty of replay value. It will be interesting to see if the band can get enough exposure in the crowded scene to continue to expand past their influences and build off of the sound made on their debut. This record is catchy, fun, and has some great positive messages in the lyrics to only enhance its replay value.