PUNK COVER MOOSE Debuts Full-Length Original Album "THREAD". (ALBUM REVIEW)

The Pop Punk Dad
Sep 28
5 min read

PUNK COVER MOOSE and I have a lot in common. We both have "punk" in our name, we both love the genre of pop-punk, punk rock, and emo, we both wear Buddy Holly style glasses, both from Pittsburgh, we enjoy a nice IPA, and most importantly of all, we're both pop-punk dads. Punk Cover Moose has been ripping through the punk cover genre for the better part of the last decade, while all along carefully crafting his own original songs, which brings us to 2025's Threads album.

The 15-track original album Thread was all written and recorded by Moose himself, whose real name isn't Hank Hill, but Josh Moose. The all original track record gives an emotional and personal insight to the life of a punk rock dad from Pittsburgh who just so happens to play in a band, which is where this website "ThePopPunkDad" all began.

Track 1 of Thread is the perfect portal into the mind of an elder emo. "When Emo Was A Website" perfectly encapsulates how reminiscing about the "old days" in the early 2000's feels like. Talks of cargo shorts and skinny jeans, music that was on the radio and MTV, and talks of MySpace. "Status Quo" is one of those "sing it with your chest" songs with a real State Champs feel to it. It feels like a song you send to a friend at 2am when you feel like they need a pick me up.

Track 3's "Rewind" to me is about that feeling that we all get, especially as we get older where we wish we had more time for ourselves and wish that we could literally rewind the clock to get more time in the day for ourselves and the things and people that we care about.

One of the things I've come to love about Thread is that it feels like each song is an homage to a different influence of punk rock, pop-punk or emo. With that said, track 4's "Trying to Chill" has The Offspring written all over it circa 1994's Smash album. The whole vibe from the gang vocals to the vibraslap used periodically throughout the song transports me to the first time I listened to Self Esteem by The Offspring on the radio.

"Source of Information" is this rad quick punk tune that gives off Box Car Racer "My First Punk Song" vibes. It's fast, it's quick, it's vulgar and to the point which perfectly transitions into track 6's "Common Melody". The tune has an agreesive pop-punk tone like the more serious Fugazi-inspired years of blink-182. This track to me is the "Anthem 2" of the record, if you understand the blink-182 analogy.

The title track to the album "Thread" puts it all into perspective once you listen to the song. It's a track that Moose himself has come out and said is about suicide, something that he's openly said that he has struggled with. It's the most raw and human song of the record and reminds us that when we're sad and depressed and things look grim, that we're not alone.

The duality of track 7's "Thread" and track 8's "MADA" is awesome. It's a 30 second jab at an obvious subject and gives off hints and nods to NOFX. Track 9's "Nightmares" has this overall message of facing your worst fears and never giving up with the reminding lyrical anthem in the chorus "What makes you strong, always takes longer".

Die Young says so much in 18-seconds. This song feels like a dedication to all of us elder emos who grew up watching CKY, Jackass and Viva La Bam who now have the internet to record the dumb shit that we do. The lyrics are as follows: "I might die young doing something stupid, but at least you got the video."

Good Mood features Jason of Pittsburgh pop and rock cover band The Knockoffs. The tune's message is clear in that it's a list of everything that you want out of life. "I want to wake up in a good mood, I wanna work a job and not feel screwed" is something that any elder emo can relate to. "Capitol IIII" has this Bad Religion/NOFX feel to it. The chords have that early 90's punk rock descending pattern with a hardcore drum beat and an angst as fuck chorus with an overall political overtone.

Some songs don't have to be long to get their point across. This has happened quite a few times in the Thread record, and track 13 is the best example of this. At 6 seconds long "You're Family When You Act Like It" swears at the listener, calling them every name in the book. If you're ever mad at your best friend, send them this song, they'll get over it.

"Fighting My Way" is an earworm. It's a song that you sing or hum to yourself when you just can't wait to get through the work day, clock out, and go home. And last but not least, track 15's "Taking Space" is not only one of my favorite tracks from the album but one of the "back to pop-punk roots" songs I've heard in a while. It checks off all the boxes of a good pop-punk tune. It's got it's emo elements with the lyrics in the chorus, it has "OOO's", it's got a hardcore beat, Four Year Strong style breakdown a couple times as a post chorus, a stripped down second verse with trebble-as-fuck bass guitar gluing the verse to the ground and an opener with just palm-muted guitar and vocals. It's a Frankenstein of a pop-punk song with a little bit of everything stitched together.

Sometimes we forget that people, (at least for now before AI takes over), writes these songs and it allows us to have a connection with that person, band, group or artist because it shows us that you're not alone. Punk Cover Moose's Thread album proves that. It's a musical scrapbook with each song giving insight to the life of a punk rock dad who plays in a band.

WHEN EMO WAS A WEBSITE - PUNK COVER MOOSE