The latest single from punk rockers, Proxy, is a great blast of crunchy guitar-driven punk rock in the same vein as Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals and the heavier elements of New Found Glory. Proxy is the solo moniker of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ryan Stolinski, and he’s onto something pretty cool on “Don’t Let Me Die In New Jersey,” a song taken from his self-titled EP. Stolinski shared this about the new single, “‘Don’t Let Me Die In New Jersey’ is about the longing feeling of wanting to grow past where you have been your entire life. Feeling bored of the old and needing new experiences. I wrote it from the perspective of someone who wants to die somewhere more beautiful and pleasant looking than a place they are no longer bound to. It’s the age old pop punk theme of hating your hometown with a morbid spin.” The next punk rock song to add to your playlist as you skateboard around town has arrived.
The track opens with some heavy riffs and the lyrics of, “So cold it hit me like a brick / It isn’t even winter and I think I’m getting sick / Bundled up to the nines in my house / Drive around but there’s nothing to see / Contemplating all the places I would rather be / Feels like a prison and I need to get out,” conveys the boredom of being locked up inside our houses during the pandemic and finding the need for that outlet that makes us feel alive again.
The song unfolds in a style similar to The Wonder Years paired with the heaviness of Four Year Strong on the anthemic chorus of, “So kill me quick and crash my plane / In crystal water that ain’t so murky / Stop my heart in the amber waves of grain / Just don’t let me die in New Jersey.” The morbid feelings brought forth in the lyrics of the chorus still pave the way for a feeling of wanting better days ahead, and still feeling that longing that things can get better.
Overall, this is a pretty solid punk rock track, and I look forward to hearing the rest of this EP from Proxy. While some may be dissuaded from the heavier lyrical material found here, there’s still plenty to enjoy from this talented solo artist.