Spraynard – Mable

West Chester, Pennsylvania pop-punk trio Spraynard plays an easily digestible brand of straight up pop-punk that is low on ego and high on easy going, shoulder to shoulder fun.  Relatability is key in their approach, singing in a manner that should make listeners feel as if among friends rather than performers.  With topics that range from trumpeting the little guy to sticking up for day to day social injustices, Spraynard feels grounded in a life outlook worth living.  Their third full length, Mable, marks their confident entrance to the newly revived Jade Tree Records with all of the above glowing warmly.

From the opening verse of “Applebee’s Bar,” Spraynard assumes the role of champion of the underdog.  With a confident attitude that completely owns their outsider status, the band edges into pop-punk melody for the first of many inspirational sing along verses.  “I’m Buried, I’m buried deep inside my house, can you help me get out, get out,” rattles off Pat Graham as he wafers along over pushing back against reclusive antisocial woes.  As always, the mood jumps along lively to the spiking pulse of bounding pop-punk chords and layers of recurrent supporting vocals in much the same vein as early Joyce Manor and Dowsing.  At other times as per “Bench” Spraynard takes an almost emo-punk approach as they slow the tempo and stretch their syllables in an angsty disposition.  Meanwhile, those like “Lost Boys” strike a middle ground, landing a calm tempo that doesn’t hesitate to function in a scaled back, bass-heavy, indie-esque capacity.

Mable presents Spraynard as one of those rising pop-punk bands characteristic of the type of music that typically flies under the radar on Asian Man Records and inevitably catches the community off guard by signing to the more illustrious Epitaph Records (hence the Joyce Manor reference).  While Spraynard’s peppiest fare (and bulk of output) may allude to a very simple core, those that stay the course for late album insights like the two part finale “Out Of Body” and “Home” will know that there’s more here than first meets the eye.  Spraynard makes balance key, presenting Mable an easy and attractive choice for those looking to quell their hungry pop-punk appetites.