Tyler Posey
UNRAVEL

On the genre-fluid debut LP by Tyler Posey, he channels his love for punk rock, screamo, and hardcore music on a 16-track opus known as UNRAVEL. The set was produced by Matt Malpass and John Feldmann, and it expands upon the ideas Posey tinkered with on his first two EPs (Drugs and Scumbag). When speaking on the direction of his self-released set, Posey shared, “Being an independent artist, there is a lot of freedom, and that’s exactly what this album is. Freedom. It’s got every genre: from screamo, hardcore punk, to chill beach vibes. Listen to it from start to finish in order to really experience the ride that is UNRAVEL, my first full length LP!” With a little bit of everything thrown into the mix on UNRAVEL, Tyler Posey solidifies himself as a key artist to watch this year and beyond.

The album opens aggressively with fast-paced punk energy on “Get Out Alive,” that has a sound reminiscent of Zebrahead and early Green Day. Posey turns towards a more Alt-Rock styling on “Attic” as he growls above the guitar chords to showcase his improvements as a songwriter. The song features a great pre-chorus that sets up a thrilling hook in the chorus. An early album standout is the single, “Lemon,” that was also featured on Posey’s Paramount+ hit movie Teen Wolf: The Movie. The single bounces along over the bass guitar line as he sways with confidence over each pointed lyric.

”Understand” brings a little bit of balance to the record with a mid-tempo groove that puts the focus on Posey’s vocals in the mix brought forth. It’s a nice combination of pop-rock that is reminiscent of Autopilot Off paired with the punk sneer of Gob. “I Fall Alone” is a song about the pitfalls of one-sided relationships, while “Standing on the Edge” pumps along with great punk rock spirit that has a great chorus that has John Feldmann’s production blueprint all over it. Other songs in the middle of sequencing like “World Class Loser” find Posey paying homage to classic pop-punk, but with a great writing style to make these influences feel fresh. Add in a slow-building ballad in “Gravity” and Tyler Posey continues to showcase his depth and improvement as a songwriter.

The back half opens with some self-deprecating songs like “Shit Parade” and “Piece of Shit” that signal a change in Posey’s overall outlook. The latter track brings forth some of those “beach vibes” that Posey promised on the album, while “Don’t Mind Me” features some vocal effects and breathy vocals on the chorus before a near-rapped verse to add some variety to UNRAVEL. “Runnin'” brings back the island-infused melodies and “Out Loud” adds a bit more tempo to the chill vibes being put out. The title track comes all the way at the end of the record, and does its best to mix all of the styles found on the LP into one song.

Overall, there’s a lot to like on Tyler Posey’s debut LP. While some may argue that he doesn’t stray far enough from his pop-punk influences, I’d point out that these expansions in his artistic direction signal the endless possibilities of where he could take his music next. Tyler Posey may not have fully arrived yet, but he’s making the music world a lot more interesting.