Like Pacific – Distant Like You Asked – Album Review

Pure Noise Records

By Jesse Espana

It may almost come as a surprise that Distant Like You Asked is Like Pacific’s very first full-length LP, as their live energy and following would suggest they’ve been around for years. However, there is no doubt that it has every possibility of taking this Canadian pop-punk outfit on a long and promising career.

Like Pacific embodies a familiar touch of what pop-punk has become, but incorporates an exciting touch that pushes the genre to a different level. As someone who has found the genre watered down with heart broken, good guy themes, I didn’t expect Like Pacific to separate themselves this much from the rest of the pack. They have a much heavier sound than similar Canadian acts like Seaway and Safe To Say, as well as bands south of the border like State Champs and Knuckle Puck, but still stay true to where it’s all headed.

Like Pacific sounds more dedicated to their anger than their disappointments, if that makes sense. From start to finish, there’s a clear intent to prove the past relationships or loved ones wrong and not simply mope about them. Much of this spawns from vocalist Jordan Black’s intensity, track after track. Though songs like “Assisted Breathing” and ”Chine Drive” take things down a bit, there is a lot of control and passion that comes through in Black’s voice. He has tempted me to kick in a few windows and start screaming back, no questions asked.

Distant Like You Asked has a very therapeutic tone to it. Again, avoiding any of the tears, this LP acts as an escape from what may be going on in the listeners life and unwind. I think the line “I changed the lock before you ruined me” is a testament to the maturity found throughout this album and the obvious growth Like Pacific has experienced. It gives this sense of, ‘let’s get the fuck up and move on.’

Instrumentally, that thought process is carried along like a banner. The rhythmic technicalities are aggressive and the drumming kicks you in the chest with every beat, even in the sombre moments. The chords hit every spectrum of what I’ve come to expect from pop-punk, ranging from simple and heavy to fast and intricate. What really impressed me was the higher, lead guitar parts. They didn’t feel measly or weak and never felt simply dropped on top of the heaviness on this album. Bassist Chris Thaung said that their producer and engineer Sam Guaiana “really pushed us to our limits and because of that, he really brought out the best of us in this record.” Guaiana had worked with Like Pacific on their EP as well and it’s obvious the two parties have come a long way.

At times the modern pop-punk genre seemed like it had hit it’s stride, like there was nothing more to see and nowhere else to go. But it’s LP’s like Distant Like You Asked that manage to dropkick the bar up and force you to expect so much more from similar acts. Like Pacific are a band that I’ve been following and waited patiently for, and their time has come. Bands like this don’t need your attention and respect, they deserve it.