We’ve been well aware of how popular the pop punk of Baltimore’s Angel Du$t is. For the longest time, we figured they’d make the large label jump, and with their new full length Pretty Buff they’ve done just that and recorded an album that’s as catchy as it is solid. Produced by Will Yip, the band explores larger sounds without becoming a mall rock band in the process.

To be the most fair to this album, while the band is essentially a pop punk band, this album transcends that sound. The opener “No Fair” begins with an acoustic guitar for starters. It’s not a ballad by any means, but it might not be what you’re expecting either. It definitely shows that this band is far beyond what their contemporaries are up to, and that’s the preface for this album. Angel Du$t reach out with this record and they do so in the best way possible. The singles like “Big Ass Love” and “Bang My Drum” all hit those pop punk feels, but the true wonderment of the record come on songs you’ve never heard before.

“Light Blue” has an almost Violent Femmes feel and it works so well, “Biggest Girl” is snappy and well paced, giving it weight without really being heavy and “Push” is pop punk without being lofty. The record proves that when the right band is placed with the right producer, they can take their sound to new places without becoming something watered down in the mix.

You can stream Pretty Buff on all streaming platforms, you can buy it digitally from all online music retailers, or you can pick it up physically directly from Roadrunner Records in multiple bundles on various formats. Angel Du$t is on tour March 24 in Seattle, WA at The Vera Project until July 12 at 2000 Trees in Cheltenham, U.K. A complete list of their tour dates can be found here.

Image Credits: Photo by Derek Rathbun.