Sweet Diego and ‘The After Party’ EP.

Sweet Diego – West Midlands, England, United Kingdom.

Sweet Diego are band that caught me off guard in regard to their name. As is often the case when contemporary Pop-Punk bands name themselves in such a way, they are sometimes considered more inline with the genre’s North American roots and even the more objective of us at-least partially expect another cookie-cutter band. Now although I didn’t expect this entirely, it has been something common in the recent incarnations of the Pop-Punk scene and I am glad to say, Sweet Diego are very much not this, in fact they are both beyond it and still tied to it in all the right ways.

The band’s 2017 EP Kongs Little Finger is stellar in both production song-writing and in its ties to Pop-Punk days gone past were the genre and its Skate Punk roots were still at large. Of course, such a sound is making its way back to the forefront in many circles and that is where Sweet Diego lovingly sit on both their previous and now current release.

Shorter at three tracks, The After Party takes the intensity of the 90’s and matches it with heavier Easycore rhythms and jagged riffs. Lyrically the band take a more direct and slightly more mature Pop-Punk route with a strong English accents hitting it home all the harder. ‘Small Steps’ firmly has your attention.

Strangers is pure 90’s Punk to the core with an intro not to distant from the likes of Pulley but also reminiscent of The Bombpops and For I Am, who are both bands well worth your time if you find yourself so inclined to Sweet Diego.

The closing ‘Bronze Girl’ is teasing of a slow rumbling New Found Glory-esque pop-song but that soon elapses for another classic 90’s Pop-Punk track onyl retreating behind a slower-tempo where absolutely necessary.

Admittedly production quality on this second release isn’t quite as on point as its predecessor but that is easily looked past. Sweet Diego are very much the band you are looking for if although you are oh-so inclined to the contemporary Pop-Punk scene, you still pang for a touch of the genres family tree.

Find Them:

• Social Media/Updates: Facebook, Twitter.
• Music: bandcamp, Spotify, Google Play, iTunes/Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal.

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