'Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing' by Real Friends

'Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing' is the first full length LP from pop punk idols Real Friends. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band, they have released a string of short EP's over the past years which have created a large following of fans who follow the "sleepy eyes and boney knees" ethos. Real Friends emblazon the chests of kids across the world with their "Pop Punk Sucks" slogan (yes, it is ironic, google it if you have to and that's right, the world) so this album is long overdue. It's been highly anticipated and prior to it's release it's received nothing but praise from all the big names in the industry, with Rock Sound giving it an 8 out 10 and Kerrang! stamping it's arrival with 4 out of 5 'K''s. But what does it sound like to a fan? Well, it sounds exactly as you want a Real Friends record to sound. It's moany and it's sad yet there are glimmers of positivity that kids in this day and age need to get by.

I reckon I could go through the album and praise every single one of the songs on this album. Unlike their EPs there are clear distinctions between songs. Yes, all 12 songs are bursting with the Real Friends pop punk sound but the album is also diverse in that there are some grizzlier noises coming from the mouth of frontman Dan Lambton and there are some tempo's which I thought the band didn't know existed. The album starts with a short announcement 'Maybe This Place Is The Same...' and ends with it's counterpart '...And We're Just Changing' which is 4 minutes of classic Real Friends in that it's heartfelt and raw. That's who Real Friends are though and they've stayed true to themselves with this album. They are a band who pour emotion and heart into their lyrics and it means kids can connect to them. That is why they are so undeniably popular. They can pen every teenage kids emotions and put music to it; they create a soundtrack for a generation of lonely teenagers and consequently bring them together.

Leading up to it's release, the band released a trio of singles over the space of 3 months. First track 'Sixteen' sits in the last third of the album and exudes gentle melody and is lyrically heartbreaking. The second month saw the release of track 'Loose Ends' which marks the middle of the album and is also the point where you realise that you are in love with this album. The last teaser in the trilogy and now official single 'I Don't Love You Anymore' is the first full length track of the album and it sits as a reminder of who Real Friends are as it echoes tracks such as 'I've Given Up You' (found on EP 'Put Yourself Back Together Again'). Whilst I said earlier that I could praise all the songs, my favourite and the song I recommend the most is 'I Think I'm Moving Forward'. This track is not only a song about strength rather than weakness but it also shows the growth that the band have experienced. It's not sleepy eyes and boney knees, it's being wide awake and moving on and that is an important message for anyone listening to this record to embrace. It again echoes a previous single ('Late Nights In My Car') in that "if you never break then you'll never know how to put yourself together again" and it's lyrics like that which make Real Friends the figures they are in this scene. They are relatable and the frustration and sadness and hope and happiness that we all experience is weaved through this album beautifully.

'Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing' is available to buy now.