Public Opinion "Painted on Smile" LP

Painted on Smile, the debut LP from Denver's Public Opinion. One part ultra-catchy punk, one part exorcism, it’s an album that reckons with self-loathing and self-doubt so thoroughly that by the end of it, maybe things don’t seem as cursed after all. Painted On Smile somehow draws together the melodicism of early aughts rock, the intensity of hardcore, and the spiky swagger of primordial punk into a surprisingly cohesive blend. Lyrically, the album hinges on Hart’s ability to capture existential frustration without stumbling into self-pity.