The Finer Things
by The State Champs
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Kerrang!
    Oct 30, 2013
    100
    The entire effort is catchy, feel-good and quite simply, pop-punk at its finest. [12 Oct 2013, p.52]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Rock Sound
    Oct 30, 2013
    90
    It’s not a progressive album per se, but The Finer Things is a bar-raising attempt at revolution in pop-punk.
  3. Alternative Press
    Oct 30, 2013
    80
    While The Finer Things may be fashionably late for this summer, it’ll sure as hell hold you over to the next one.
  5. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Oct 30, 2013
    80
    True to its name, this record is one of the finest debut pop-punk records of the last five years and easily among the top tier for the genre this year.
  6. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Oct 31, 2013
    60
    They had a pop-punk grit and an edgier take on their 2012 release but The Finer Things just falls short of the potential that State Champs should be exploiting by now.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 6 out of 18
  1. qrobur
    Nov 4, 2013
    4
    I think people should be wary of the limited number of reviews for this record, especially as they originate from sources that more or lessI think people should be wary of the limited number of reviews for this record, especially as they originate from sources that more or less concentrate on the genre to which 'The Finer Things' belongs.

    The album is a competent exercise in the lighter side of what is called "punk" these days. That means it's well played, well sung and rather dull. It lacks imagination, inspiration and above all, passion. Any one of a hundred groups in this genre could have produced this record, so much is it an identikit release.

    All the pieces you'd expect are there; compressed riffing guitars, sprightly drumming in fairly fast rhythms, bass almost non-existent and pretty much unnecessary, obvious speed changes, somewhat whiny vocals...but nothing to engage your mind or heart. If you want to know what really good pop-punk should be, try the very old albums by the or, even better, their early singles.    … Full Review »
  2. soulcoma
    Jan 2, 2014
    1
    Kerrang! Ha Ha.100? Okay. Look at the reviewers (professional) for this album. The only reviewers are one's who cater to this genre and musicKerrang! Ha Ha.100? Okay. Look at the reviewers (professional) for this album. The only reviewers are one's who cater to this genre and music crowd and depend on getting pre-release albums to review. Of course, they're gonna rate it higher than it should be. But this is preposterous. This album is awful. But, I could only make it through four songs, so maybe it's backloaded with gems.… Full Review »
  3. JUIKER
    Nov 2, 2013
    2
    I don't understand metacritic and music critics anymore. I listened to a few minutes of this and it's horrible, horrible sounding stuff, likeI don't understand metacritic and music critics anymore. I listened to a few minutes of this and it's horrible, horrible sounding stuff, like a revival of Simple Plan or Sum 41 or some crap like that. Ugh.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »