The Dream Is Over

Hell fucking YES! I discovered PUP in 2014 when I saw them live in Toronto opening for AFI just 3 months after they released their debut album. They were still pretty much unknown outside of Toronto at that point. Even in Toronto they were barely known. I remember being blown away by their performance and had to look them up right away. After that show I became a huge fan. I've seen them 9 times now. They play in Toronto a lot so it makes it easy to watch them that many times. Back in 2015 when I was a budding photographer, I reached out to Stefan (lead singer) to ask if I could take some concert photos for them, he responded, said yes, and added me to the media list! I photographed 2 of their shows at that time and they posted some of my shots on their Instagram page, which was super cool to see. I'm so happy that they've found the success and recognition that they deserve in the wider punk/pop-punk community, especially since they're a local Toronto band. This album fucking rips and it's so good, but it's actually my 3rd favourite of theirs. Their self titled album and Morbid Stuff edge this one out by just a hair. All 3 albums are honestly so good it's hard to compare. But this is the album where they gained wider recognition and acclaim so it definitely deserves to be the one for this list. The transition from "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will" into "DVP" is perfection. I love how they incorporate Toronto streets and locations into their lyrics. Every time I'm on the DVP or drive past Pine Point Park, I start shouting the lyrics to those songs. I was really close to choosing a PUP album to add to this list, I really glad someone else did!

Really good. Hit me hard 5

The Dream Is Over is the second album of punk rock band PUP. The album title refers to a doctor finding out a problem with the lead singers vocal cords. You don't have to be a doctor to discover this as his vocals are the weakest part of this album. That does not mean it is a big problem as his energy and intensity compensates a lot. The songs are not to long and to the point and the whole album is 30 minutes long. It delivers and I like it.

The title of that first song is a genius turn of phrase to open a rock album. The song is awesome, too. After that, "DVP" goes to Jeff Rosenstock turf with ease, but it's when "Doubts" and "Sleep In The Heat" and surged that I fully realized that energy-wise and arrangement-wise, we were actually up to the level of early Weezer, or the one of Get Up Kids circa *Something To Write Home About*. The angular riffing in the middle of "The Coast" also sent me to *real* pop punk bliss -- the sort that knows how to properly handle screams, melodies and post-hardcore twists and turns. On that note, fuck Blink 182. I mean that, fuck their faces forever! And fuck Brand New while I'm at it. Why? you might ask... because there are also discreet (far better handled) emo touches in *The Dreams Is Over*? Yeah, because of that too. And also because it feels good, ha ha! I'm gonna stop mentioning all the songs of the tracklist of this terrific suggestion now, all of them are great anyway (special mention nonetheless on the poignant power pop-rock ballad "Pine Point", closing the proceedings). I never thought that in my old age I would get so excited by a record in this genre from beginning to end (well apart from Jeff Rosenstock's *Worry*, that is). Browsing through Pup's later discography (from which I had already listened to before, only not *this* second album), it looks like this Canadian band didn't exactly always retain *all* of their initial in-your-face, infectious punk energy in the ten years that followed *The Dream Is Over* (a prophetic title, even if uttered in jest?). It's quite a predictable story, I guess.. That said, they are still a cool band today, still playing very inventive riffs, routinely penning hilarious lyrics, and even going to McLusky's full abrasive noisepop turf at times on later LP *The Unraveling of PupTheBand*... So I will pay more attention to the rest of their adventures from now on. And a thousand thanks to the user who suggested this record. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 5 9.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 110 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 117 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 257 ---- Émile, *quatre* nouveaux messages pour toi au dessus, du *Solid State Survivor* de Yellow Magic Orchestra au *Atrocity Exhibition* de Danny Brown

Abused the hell out of this one when it dropped a decade ago, and the LP has aged remarkably well. Hard to pinpoint another punkish album that pairs tongue-in-cheek, pop punk sensibilities with such technical, involved instrumentals. It’s not just the trem picking on ‘DVP,’ all of the guitar parts on this album manage to be technically insane and pretty damn catchy at the same time. Couple that with Babcock’s scratchy delivery of some great, devil may care lyricism and you’ve got a winner. This LP manages to be a fun, joyless ride and narrative-driven wonder simultaneously and feels so unique as a result. Great add, this is a worthy LP for the 1001 even if it comes with having to accept my freshman year of college was a d e c a d e ago somehow.

Guy who only listens to Jeff Rosenstock: This gives off some serious Jeff Rosenstock vibes

Loved this album when it came out and still excellent. 4 stars.

Looks like I found a new band to check out! Really liked it.

Fuzzy and punkish, altogether pretty solid.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: DVP, Old wounds

Solid punk rock - just about a retro sound, true as it is (to my ears) to mid-80s west coast punk. Lyrically it was occasionally smarter than average, the ambiguous little horror song about a life-claiming small town lake stood out. But a lot of it was firmly planted in the particular punk tropes of post-teen, angsty, directionless raging of the perpetual screw-up. Like the punk sound itself, a shallow pool to draw from.

Why add to this genre? Choose something different? Choose originality? Choose life.

I saw this band live once, on a festival. It was a banger of a performance. But alas, I did not search their music afterwards. Now listening to this album was a fun experience too

Punk as hell - my only gripe is it's too short!

They've changed a bit since "Common People."

Just a great straight down the middle indie rock album with a bit of a pop punk drive

Didn't do much for me. I feel like this genre is pretty well represented. Bonus points for being short. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3.5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No

Better (barely) than average 21st-century punk with a likable sense of humor but pretty limited merits otherwise.

It was ok generic punk.

I knew a couple of PUP songs so The Dream Is Over was up my street, it's not outstanding or anything but it's a good quick listen, full of energy and angst. Familiar Patterns my favourite track, solid high 3.

Album art let's you know you are in for an energetic witty good time. Fun album, I enjoyed listening. On the other hand I found it maybe a bit uneven and it doesn't add much to the list, really.

Punk rock, indie rock, hardcore punk, post-hardcore, skate punk, emo, pop-punk. Ni fu ni fa.

Fun

This played while I listened

Pop punk vocals are cringe

I appreciated the brevity.

Quite possibly the best album titled "The Dream Is Over" released by a band named "PUP" in the year 2016.