New Junk City - Where Could I Go? (2026) Hi-Res

Tom Petty played by Green Day, as the band puts it. To be honest, a pretty apt comparison since I can definitely feel a bit of both in this, albeit my lean being more towards Green Day since I've spent more time with them. Yet, I can't help but feel that they lack some of the sauce that makes those two bands great.

Don't get me wrong, still some notable highlights in here, Long Way particularly does a great job of hitting that emotional high for me. E&J also has some incredibly punchy drum fills that elevate that track for me. There's also a pretty decent variety in style for sticking within Pop Punk primarily. There is enough here where I could generally peg this as some very enjoyable Pop Punk with a tinge of twang.

Yet, perhaps just how I'm built, I find the storytelling to be alright, but not extremely gripping. In some cases like Stay the Same or Like I Love You, I am a bit turned away by how empty the sappiness is. Admittedly more a case of my aromantic self being a smidge harder to swing on some romance-related songs, even if doomed. Or a song like For So Long that just genuinely has nothing in there, trying to work as a quiet moment to the point of being a whisper (and lord my hearing is bad).

That said, while I got a dislike/nitpick for the odd track here and there, I would generally peg this as a real solid release. Thoroughly enjoyed and can see myself returning a lot to tracks like Long Way & E&J.