Superheaven - "Jar"

It seems as if pop punk has taken the backseat in the past couple of years to the alternative notions that have lingered as of late. Bands like Tigers Jaw, Fireworks, Real Friends & Citizen have catapulted to heightened popularity while A Day To Remember is really the last revival of pop punk anyone can remember. Sure NFG still pump out an album every few years, and Neck Deep is a worthy heir to a polished scene, but it doesn't touch what bands like Basement have managed to accomplish in such short tenure. Superheaven lie before you in the alternative vein Brand New slithered in with Deja Entendu at a time when Thrice and Thursday were the new black. While not as aggressive and eclectic, Superheaven is the same response to a comparable scene. Jar is more like the collection of b-sides from Nirvava's box set that never saw the light of day.  I spent days searching for "Hole In The Ground," "Youngest Daughter," and "In On It" on In Utero with little success but I could've sworn they were a 1993 gem. "Around The Railing" has one of those epic rock outs with the most appropriate melody as it closes that you'll just want to listen to it over and over again and "Outside Of Me" feels like it just farted out of one of Dave Grohl's notebooks. Somehow this alternative scene has become the new underground and there's something about going to Academy, Earwax, Rough Trade, and dare I say Urban Outfitter (which has a surprisingly more punctual and organized catalogue than any of the others), and hunting these vinyls and indicating it's "I don't know, alternative" to the worthless counter chick who does nothing besides troll Amazon all afternoon when she could be spending time cataloging the store, hunting new distributors and listening to customers' requests and connecting the dots before they move for a fifth time to an even smaller location. Superheaven offered their debut for free on their bandcamp which is enough to make anyone lose hope in the music business. If this can't sell and get representation what exactly has this world been drawn to? Iggy Azalea? Please don't answer that as your head will probably explode. I was fortunate enough to catch these guys live late in 2014 and their album made a real lasting impression. If chugathons have you beat and you're looking for actual music, no longer is there a need to look any further.