London’s Burnt Tapes have built their name on a distinct brand of melodic punk—equal parts grit, melody, and emotional candor. With New Lungs, their latest full-length on Lockjaw Records, they deliver what might be their most complete and confident work to date.
The album moves effortlessly between high-energy anthems and slower, more reflective moments, each track bound by the band’s knack for crafting hooks that stick. Urgent guitars and driving rhythms form the backbone, but it’s the vocal delivery—equal parts raw and tuneful—that gives New Lungs its emotional pull. These are songs that beg to be shouted back at the band in sweaty clubs, but they also hold up in the quiet moments after the show, when the lyrics sink in.
Lyrically, New Lungs grapples with themes of change, resilience, and the push-and-pull between personal growth and the weight of the past. It’s self-aware without being self-indulgent—using lived experience as fuel for cathartic choruses and sharp, memorable turns of phrase.
Burnt Tapes have always thrived in the space between rawness and polish, and this record captures that balance perfectly. There’s enough edge to keep the songs urgent, enough melody to keep them in your head for days, and enough heart to make them matter. New Lungs isn’t just another solid chapter in the Burnt Tapes story—it’s the sound of a band fully hitting its stride.
