REVIEW: Pool Kids - Easier Said Than Done
pop punk but not really
39:49 // August 15th, 2025 // Epitaph
Have you ever heard a pop punk record that feels deeply uninterested in being a pop punk record, but not in the PUP way? I’m not sure I had before listening to Easier Said Than Done. This new Pool Kids album is pop punk through and through, but it has such palpable depth that it rarely feels like pop punk. Sure, that’s in part because that particular genre comes with quite a few negative connotations, but the band’s new project feels genuinely forward-thinking within and outside of the extended pop punk-o-verse.
For starters, Easier Said Than Done refuses to be catchy from the get-go. Instead, Pool Kids stack so many layers, melodies, and intriguing moments atop one another, that the record builds a tremendous amount of intrigue begging for multiple listens… and that’s when the hooks start sticking. It makes sense: up until a few years ago, the best descriptor for the band was something along the lines of “emo-tinged math rock”. While the emo remains, most of the intricate twinkly instrumentation has made way for more straightforward textures. However, there is a palpable refusal to fully shed the intriguing complexity: rather than focusing on crafting beautifully offbeat riffs, Easier Said Than Done warps its songs as individual units into frequently surprising entities. Take the early highlight “Tinted Windows”: a deeply dynamic cut that consistently uses its quiet-loud contrasts as red herrings, before unleashing the sole appearance of its massive chorus two and a half minutes in. Subsequently, a semi-breakdown of an outro ends the track on yet another decision that feels like it shouldn’t make sense, but totally does.
Elsewhere, “Leona Street” presents Easier Said Than Done’s poppiest moment. Rather than utilising the delightfully bouncy textures of its chorus as an instant hook, the song opts to get there by way of several verses increasing in sonic dissonance. As a result, the impact of the sheer catchiness is elevated all the more, even if it does trade in some immediacy. In essence, the core battle of this record is this dissonance vs. immediacy: there are several moments that are entirely captivating from the start, but they are frequently surrounded by or drenched in elements that add depth but ultimately detract from instant gratification. Take the collapsing chorus of “Last Word”: a big moment rendered both more interesting and smaller by its use of ghostly vocal effects, before making way for an unexpected and wonderful appearance of the math. However, the very best five-minute moment on Easier Said Than Done is the massive “Dani”. It’s a song that takes the very best elements of Pool Kids’ new approach to songwriting, and blends them into a heart-wrenching piece of music that keeps reinventing itself. As the track deconstructs itself before reapplying layer upon layer, it manages to highlight Christine Goodwyn’s excellent vocals: while she sounds wonderful throughout the record, the sheer desperation of “Dani” feels like the very best showcase of her talents.
As a whole, Pool Kids’ latest offering might not beat their best work - the genuinely epic self-titled record - but it is an excellent body of work regardless, and hints at a wonderful future for the band. Moreover, it’s an album to dig into: it requires a bit of patience, a bit of appreciation, but there is a lot to love here. Pop punk aoty 2025? Probably. Aren’t you proud of me for going a full Pool Kids review without mentioning Paramore or Hayley Willi- oh, fuck.
8/10