Denver, CO punk upstarts Public Opinion recently announced their upcoming sophomore album, The Curse of Public Opinion, and today they’re back with another ferocious new single, “When Kevin Gets Free.”
Due out 7th August via SideOneDummy, The Curse of Public Opinion is a lean 27 minutes of fuck-you anthems that plumb the depths of existential disappointment through a sneering cocktail of 2000s garage rock swagger, classic punk hooks, and hardcore bite. Some albums provide the soundtrack for picking yourself back up, but Public Opinion are there for when you’re getting kicked while you’re down.
“When Kevin Gets Free” follows lead single “Balloon Man Running” (which drew praise from Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Alt Press, and more) and showcases Public Opinion‘s ability to seamlessly combine eye-bulching anger with unbridled melody. It’s a primal rock & roll song for hanging onto grudges, and it’s sure to help you blow off a little steam–even if only for two minutes.
Public Opinion emerged from the Denver, Colorado, hardcore scene in 2020 and have evolved from spunky proto-punks into the anthemic rock & roll powerhouse heard on their sophomore album. Recorded with Brett Romnes (Anxious, I Am The Avalanche, Hot Mulligan), The Curse of Public Opinion sounds absolutely massive, pushing the band’s blend of melody and madness further than ever before. Lyrically, vocalist Kevin Hart (not that one) rejects social media-derived faux therapy sentiments and platitude-drenched motivational speeches; this is properly pissed-at-the-world music for when it’s just time to vent. “A lot of bands make music about feeling bad but they’re so dialed-in. I think our message is a little more messy, but a lot more human,” he explains. “At the end of the day I’m kind of a quiet, angry guy. I don’t explode, I implode. So when it comes to the songs I don’t try to stop all that from coming through.”
Public Opinion just finished a lengthy run of tour dates supporting Drug Church and White Reaper, and this week they’re kicking off their Spring tour with Squint, followed by a late Summer run supporting Sparta. See full itinerary below.
The Curse of Public Opinion tracklist:
1. Balloon Man Running
2. Flowers By Irene
3. I Pay Everyone I Still Talk To
4. Lucky Me
5. Closed Captioning
6. When Kevin Gets Free
7. Enhancement Talent
8. Epitaph
9. Modern Convenience (ft. Vinnie Caruana)
10. The Curse of Public Opinion
Preorder The Curse of Public Opinion HERE