ALBUM REVIEW: Where We Go When There’s Nothing Left – Northvale
Rising pop-punks NORTHVALE, have put out their debut record Where We Go When There’s Nothing Left. The New Jersey quartet have been working on this release for the past five years, during which time they’ve steadily been gaining recognition with the rock community thanks to a series of collaborations with fellow pop-punk heavyweights like BROADSIDE, THE HOME TEAM, and IN HER OWN WORDS.
The record itself explores darker topics in relating to mental health and the world we exist in today, yet keeping a hopeful, positive outlook in that things will get better. From the moment that the album opens with For The Moment, we are immediately greeted with fast, energetic instrumentals and upbeat vocals that leave a sense of nostalgia and happiness, an escape from reality to prepare you for happier days ahead. Furthermore, you find yourself reminded of pop-punk sounds from the 2010s with names like NECK DEEP and THE WONDER YEARS, yet NORTHVALE are still able to make it sound suitable for 2025.
Across the record there are three collaborations; Better When I Can (featuring PALETTES) that follows the opening track and smoothly carries on the feel-good pop punk sound we’ve seen established. Already Dead (featuring THE DANGEROUS SUMMER) again captures that nostalgic pop-punk sound yet isn’t the most interesting track to be heard on the album, and What If You Flay (featuring GLIMMERS) sees Maggie Schneider’s vocals beautifully suit and bring together this melodic pop-punk meets emo song that draws comparison to MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK.
Whilst certainly enjoyable, there is the risk of entering a territory of being stereotypical and ‘samey’ sounding which NORTHVALE manages to mostly avoid outside of some stereotypical lines about returning to Chicago and feeling out of place in the world. Yet in context it still makes sense for what the band themselves have experienced and the stories they’re trying to tell. And sure, it can be a little hard to describe the record outside of phrases relating to ‘feel-good pop-punk’, but NORTHVALE manages to make each song have their own little personal twist in that they sound different next to each other.
As mentioned previously, this record relies a lot on nostalgia and sounds that bring you back to your teen years as a sweet little escape from everyday life. A perfect example, if you will, of energetic compositions that make you want to bounce around the room yet paired with lyrics that will leave you in existential dread, so a dancing as you cry type of vibe. Yet, even in the moments where the mood shifts into something more serious sounding or calmer, such as Bright Lights and Only Reason, there’s no threat of them taking you out of that escapism you may have experienced up to this point. So, if you’re in need of a record that will transport you back to your teenage years, or to get you through the colder months until festival season begins in May, then look no further than this fun debut.
Rating: 7/10
Where We Go When There’s Nothing Left is available now via self-release.
Like NORTHVALE on Facebook.