Among Legends arrive at their second full-length with an already established identity, keen to push their melodic punk a step further. Lose My Grip retains the band’s signature catchy choruses and open-chord guitar work, but toughens up the sound and speeds up much of the repertoire. Anxiety, rage and adult frustration are the true driving forces behind the new album.
The opening track, “H/A/C/K”, encapsulates that intention perfectly: a brief, explosive burst of street punk with sharp guitars and a defiant, raw vocal. There’s something of Rancid‘s street-level urgency here, but also Bad Religion‘s knack for condensing melody, harmonies and social consciousness into songs that barely last a couple of minutes. “Sound the Alarm” builds on that momentum, pushing it towards a more combative strain of melodic hardcore, driven by skate punk’s fast pace and a sing-along chorus that channels outrage into a collective response.
The album isn’t only about anthems, though. “Go On” is one of its fastest tracks, built on a skate punk foundation with tight guitars and an urgent performance. “Back Again”, by contrast, slows things down and drifts towards the road-trip punk rock of The Loved Ones, with a more open sound, an instantly catchy chorus and lyrics about surviving the daily grind by counting down the days until a return to music.
Sitting between those two extremes, “Hollow” is one of the album’s most balanced moments. Its melodic skate punk, reminiscent of Face to Face, combines drive, hooks and melancholy with ease. “Familiar Fictions” takes a different direction: denser, more introspective and expansive, drawing on the atmospheric side of The Flatliners, with alternative rock guitars and a tension that builds gradually. “Floating Here for Years” captures one of the album’s central ideas: the music races ahead at full speed while its protagonists remain stuck in the same place.
The album’s political streak resurfaces strongly on “Open Wide” and “Band Dudes Fuck Off”. The former shares Strike Anywhere‘s urgency and intensity; the latter, featuring Laura DeRocchis, dismantles the paternalism and token praise of a male-dominated scene that celebrates itself while shutting out other voices.
Towards the end, “Oversaturated” leans into the narrative punk of The Menzingers, with warm guitars and an almost cinematic melancholy. “What’s It Gonna Be” concentrates the album’s emotional conflict and gives meaning to its title: energetic, raw and expansive melodic punk carrying one of the record’s best choruses. Finally, “The Last Time” eases off the pace, closing the album with a serene farewell built on guitars that evoke heartland rock.
Lose My Grip doesn’t set out to reinvent the genre, but rather to sharpen the band’s own voice within it. Its greatest strength lies in showing a band that is more confident, forceful and versatile, able to move between hardcore intensity, skate punk melody and emotional storytelling without losing coherence or personality. It is also a lively, thoroughly enjoyable album from start to finish, one that flows effortlessly and should delight anyone who still loves well-crafted melodic punk.
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