Johnny Franck’s energy is palpable with the latest Bilmuri instalment, his signature comedic country metalcore style is as honed as ever and Kinda Hard really just sounds like it was a lot of fun to make. Even with the genre blending, this album falls very much under the pop punk umbrella, with humour through emotion being at the forefront of its style. It’s not hard to see why fans of this trope enjoy Bilmuri, even if the moment has slightly passed.
Maybe it’s because the world felt lighter, because the genre was newer, or because we were younger, but the notion of comedy through catchy pop songs with amazing riffs did hit a lot harder a few years ago. Anywhere between the 90s and the early 2010s, there would have been a place for Kinda Hard in a much more significant way, and although it is catchy, fun, and well produced, it’s noticeable that it doesn’t really offer anything new.
That being said, Franck approaches the album with such conviction that you can’t help but feel the joy from it. The energy is relentless and there’s no doubting how fun it would be live in the pit for any nostalgia driven metal-heads that need a release. The collaboration with A Day To Remember is a seamless and natural addition, and other highlights including “Worst Part Of You”, “Shyt Fyst” and “Back Then” play their part with everything that is enjoyable about pop punk. They follow every characteristic of the genre, and it’s clear where the influence has come from.
Kinda Hard mostly blends into one high energy, fun, dramatic, catchy outburst of emotion. On stage is where this album will shine best but in a landscape of abundant similar variations, it does have quality moments, and the country twang is a novel distinction.
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