Chicago-based pop-punk band Knuckle Puck have released their 4th full-length album, “Losing What We Love.”

Spanning 11 tracks and just over 37 minutes, the record gives listeners a glimpse into the darker side of Knuckle Puck. The themes are just as dark, serving as a metaphorical expression of the current state of the world and learning to let go of things that are not working out before it becomes too late.

With heavy instrumentals and strong leading vocals to match, Knuckle Puck delivers an album that is true to its punk roots, but adds the element of freshness by pulling from the many different sounds of rock subgenres and grungy lyrics that keep you hooked.

The album starts off on an energetic note, with the second single and track on the record, “The Tower” lyrically introducing the themes of chaos and ultimate demise in the chorus: “There is no escape / When the storm takes shape and foundations break / Come and take my life when the lightning strikes / If the tower falls will this love be gone?” Building drums and guitar riffs complement the alternating vocals by lead singer Joe Taylor and guitarist Nick Casasanto, making for a powerful statement track and, arguably, one of the best tracks on the album.

“You & I” serves as the album’s standout track, tapping into the currently more trendy pop-punk sound — it’s more upbeat with softer vocals. Taylor paints the picture of a failed relationship with someone who only wanted to be together for fame, despite being unhappy with their life overall. While it is the least Knuckle Puck-esque song on the entire record, they were able to add their signature flair into the mix, allowing it to flow with the rest of the album.

The title track, “Losing What We Love,” is the perfect choice to embody the album as a whole. It ticks all the boxes for album themes, sounds, and lyrics. The song is a bit more mellow to start, but shapes up to be similar to a majority of the tracks on the record sonically in terms of fast-paced guitar riffs and booming drums. Its unique touch of overlapping lines at the end creates a catchy outro that is bound to be stuck in your head for days.

The following track is “Groundhog Day,” the record’s lead single. Despite it being released last October, the song holds up very well on the record and clearly built the foundation for “Losing What We Love” as a whole. It is the most instrumentally driven track, with a melodic break leading up to the song’s bridge.

Closing out the album, Knuckle Puck takes it back down for “Better Late.” With a somber tone in the lyrics, Taylor dwells on a failing relationship that reaches its tipping point due to a lack of communication. He struggles to articulate how he’s been feeling and longs to fix things rather than keep them bottled up.

For fans of Knuckle Puck, this album is undoubtedly very similar to their past releases. However, they’ve managed to add lots of new musical aspects to the record, avoiding repetitiveness. The band’s execution of experimenting with themes and sounds on this record to create a raw, cathartic experience was very well done, making it worthy of a spin.