Pop punk can be a bit of a dirty word. Let’s face it, there’s only so many ways you can slate your home town and write misogynistic verses about that girl who wouldn’t talk to you because you wouldn’t go near a can of deodorant. However, when done right and approached with a mature mindset, the results can be fantastic. One Step Closer, despite what their Linkin Park echoing name may suggest, are not a nu-metal band. They are instead, a hybrid (Theory) of anthemic, emotive hardcore and skate-punk. Think early Tony Hawk soundtracks with a modern punch, made to be played while the sun reaches its zenith and you wipe gravel from your skinned knees. This new effort leans heavily into that side of things, with more emotionally charged sections, soaring choruses and most importantly, hooks big enough to make Hellraiser jealous.
It would always be a risk to move from heavier pastures to pursue a sound more accessible, but One Step Closer have clearly learned from bands like Koyo, who with their 2023 debut Would You Miss It? showed that you can be a mature, feet-on-the-ground pop punk band and still retain your hardcore roots. Even on OSC‘s last release, there were massive choruses mixed in and a clear appreciation for the more melodic aspects of the hardcore sound. However, on All You Embrace, there’s signs the band has been listening and appreciating the efforts of bands like Touche Amore and to great effect.
Opener ‘Colour You’ starts things off with a slow burning anthem that seems destined to soundtrack days and nights of stolen glances, dubiously acquired alcohol (not for this straight edge bunch though) and the fleeting feeling that it’ll all be over far too soon. The wonderful lyrics and delivery balance hope, longing and despair. ‘Leap Years’ kicks the record into full gear, a song that echoes the classic Rise Against sound of scream into the sky skate punk. There’s a few songs on here that you could see being over X-Games compilations over the years. It wouldn’t be a massive stretch to say that vocalist Ryan Savitski has more than a touch of Tim McIlrath about his delivery.
It isn’t all 100mph half-pipe shenanigans however, as when the band slow things down, that’s where they really strike an emotional chord. ‘The Gate’ sways into life and before long, you’re gently rocking from side to side, eyes closed as the rich power chords wash over you. One of the highlights of the record, ‘Giant’s Despair’ is a slower number that looks set to be a staple of the band’s set for years to come. “Did I fail the life I’ve been through now” is a line that will make its way onto the skin of many, poignant and beautiful as it is dripping with self-loathing. Some tracks on this record were co-written with Mat Kerekes from Citizen and Isaac Hale from Knocked Loose, and while there isn’t any squealing panic chords from Hale’s influence here, there’s definitely fingerprints of both artists and their incredible writing skills. That’s not to take away from the rest of the band however, who are clearly relishing having their newest member Coleman O’Brien in the fold. His influence on the preceding EP and this record shows he’s the missing piece for the band.
Will there be diehards of the band turned off by this sound? Sure, but they don’t really have a case. It’s a culmination of a sound teased on the last full length and built on since. There’s still enough bite and punk energy to see the band remain a staple of the hardcore fests in which they cut their teeth. Last year, Drain put out the record that encapsulated the sound of summer. This time, that honour goes to One Step Closer. A modern pop-punk masterpiece that never strays too far from where the band have came from. An album that evokes the sweet taste of lemonade on the tongue as the last days of sun come to an end, the feeling of saying “see you later” that are secretly unspoken farewells, the repression of the cold in your stomach that makes you realise that you need to go back to reality. That’s what summer is. It’s a placebo, a band-aid on the wound that you, that everyone carries at all times. It would have been east for One Step Closer to put out a day-glo, “sun’s out guns out” record that makes you want to dig your toes in the sand and skull cans of Red Bull. But they went deeper, they sought your soul and forced it to accept the world, not alone, but with the knowledge that everybody out there feels the same.