SoSo are a pop punk band from Sydney, Australia. Their tagline is “offensively average.” This band is going for anything but that with their debut album. The band is self funding and self promoting the album while keeping ownership of the music. SoSo’s goal is to show artists that it is possible to be homegrown while still garnering a #1 album. This is almost ensured by the band collaborating with producer Stevie Knight who has worked with powerhouses such as Yours Truly and Stand Atlantic.

To show off their debut album “So Much for Second Chances,” SoSo released their new single, “Messed Up” on Wednesday, June 18th. This song pays homage to the band’s pop punk roots and deals with having to mourn the loss of a toxic relationship that promised a fulfilling future. 

The band’s use of catchy drums, beautifully whiny pop punk vocals, and heavy guitar create the perfect single. The lyrics are also very powerful. There are so many great one lines that I foresee being put into Instagram captions. 

The imagery that’s created by the line “paralyzed when you call me up at 3 a.m.” makes the song feel so personal. This first person perspective puts you in the shoes of lead singer Rhys de Burgh. It makes you feel as if you’re having this experience with him. Throughout the song, he is struggling with the end of a toxic relationship. The ex-partner is calling up and not letting the past be just that–the past. The panic and frustration is palpable.

It becomes clear in the song lyrics that the relationship was not at a summer fling. The couple was planning their future and putting that into action. However, the relationship was found to be fake and all the future plans were merely a mirage. Rhys laments that it’s his fault for “letting someone in” and “getting comfortable here in my own skin.”

The song lyrics also hint at how drugs and alcohol may have had a role in the relationship breaking off. Rhys sings that his ex calls “all messed up again” and that his ex wants him to forget that they’re to blame. This is in the beginning of the song. Later in the song Rhys says that he “plans to be California sober.” This in reference to not consuming any ‘hard’ drugs such as cocaine, etc. while still partaking in weed or alcohol. It’s possible that the couple may not have agreed on this, especially as the ex being “messed up” is a regular occurrence. 

Rhys also mentions that he is “only getting older” and asks his ex to just “let it go.” This is very indicative of a relationship that he has outgrown and it is no longer serving him. While listening to the song, this pain of something that is lost, but still loved is apparent. You feel the ups and downs of the relationship in the lyrics and melody. The catchy hook of “you’re to blame” is a good reassurance that the ex is at fault and a needed reminder, especially when the verses start to reminisce on any good parts of the relationship.

The single ends in a beautiful guitar solo straight out of something you’d hear in more traditional rock music. It’s so nostalgic to hear a guitar solo in pop punk now. It’s something a lot of bands have moved away from and I’m so glad that there’s a band that still understands the power of a perfectly timed and composed guitar solo. It’s sweeping and moves the song along to its end peacefully. It resolves both the lyrics and the song’s pacing. 

I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to hear this song early! It’s definitely going to be on loop for me until the release of the band’s debut album!

You can preorder the debut album “So Much for Second Chances” here at www.sosopunx.com.