Magnolia Park, courtesy Jessica Griffith.

This week we feature a smorgasbord of punk and alt-rock with singer-songwriter Sage Chavis (now performing as PEJI), the apathetic angst of Crawlers, somber anti-suicide plea of White Lung, optimistic pop-punk revival of Magnolia Park, throwback punk of The Illicits and the grooves of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (Yes, you read that right; that’s seven pigs).

PEJI, “Cut You Off” — Sage Nicole Chavis, formerly the bassist in the Regrettes, has struck out on her own under a new name. Her newest single kicks off with her immediately calling out and cutting off a former lover. She expresses her desire to move on while encouraging listeners to do the same, not to tie themselves down to old mistakes. Wise words, especially when so many people will often find themselves committing to a mistake simply due to having done it for so long.

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Crawlers, “Too Soon” — The grimy and sinister pulsating synths that open this track will send chills down your spines. They’re followed by the haunting vocals of Holly Minto, who expresses her rage with a monotonous delivery—like someone who’s explaining it after having screamed it to the world so many times before but can only muster so much energy. Her apathetic attitude toward the person who hurt her for so long is relatable. After all, there’s only so much mistreatment anyone can tolerate.

White Lung, “If You’re Gone” — Don’t let the raucous and wild melody fool you into thinking this is your typical punk anthem. It’s probably the darkest song of the week. Frontwoman Mish Barber-Way sings openly about the tragic reality of suicide and how it affects the loved ones of those who take their own lives—particularly those of children.

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Magnolia Park, “Radio Reject” — We all have dreams we aspire to; some more unrealistic than others. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue them. This absolute banger of a pop-punk anthem by Magnolia Park feels like the natural evolution from the Warped Tour artists of yesteryear (the Orlando band recently toured with Sum 41 and Simple Plan, so the comparison fits). Frontman Joshua Roberts belts out about his desire to take risks in his career and personal life, opting to become a “radio reject” rather than settling for mediocrity. As the saying goes, if you shoot for the moon and miss, you’ll still land among the stars.

The Illicits, “Modern Life” — Get ready for whiplash to the era long before Johnny Rotten was a monarch apologist and a MAGA chud. The Illicits draw heavily from bands like The Sex Pistols, having even collaborated with guitarist Steve Jones. This song speaks to the dilapidation of a society that stopped caring a long time ago due to the influence of reactionaries and austerity politics. Change is desperately needed and The Illicits speak to that need very clearly.

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Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs , “Mr Medicine” — Garage rock and dad-rock always seem to go hand in hand these days, don’t they? The meaty guitar riffs on this track paired with the echoing vocals of Matt Baty create a cacophony of classic metal acts with psychedelic undertones. It’s like if Thin Lizzy or Mötley Crüe teamed up with Aerosmith to develop a song for a biker flick.

Tim’s pick: This week was simply no contest. I really enjoyed Crawlers’, White Lung’s and The Illicits’ tracks A LOT. I have to go with Magnolia Park, however. The energy, instrumentation, vocals and themes—it all boils down to the music on which I grew up. If a pop-punk revival phase is incoming, I hope Magnolia Park will be the ones leading the charge in a genre heavily oversaturated with angsty songs with little to say. Magnolia Park carries the message it preaches.

Follow hip-hop writer Tim Hoffman at Twitter.com/hipsterp0tamus.