Music Review: PUP's pop-punk 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?' is unapologetically imperfect
It should also be kept in mind when this reviewer says that PUP's latest offering, 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?' is, well, not good. And compared to their previous work — it's not. But good is probably not what they were going for.
Bassist Nestor Chumak, guitarist Steve Sladkowski, drummer Zack Mykula and songwriter Babcock make up the motley crew that is PUP. The quartet has come up in the past decade as a punk-pop rock staple, combining Babcock's yelled lyrics about human fallibility with humor and catchy, head-banging melodies.
But 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?' is missing the invigorating electric guitar riffs and cohesion that made past albums so solid. Instead, it is unapologetically imperfect, reveling in the joy of making loud music without so much rhyme and reason.
The group's fifth studio album focuses on Babcock's relationships — with romantic partners, bandmates and with himself. In the album, Babcock shares his vulnerable side, not the first time for the singer who has an open history with depression.
'Hallways' sheds light on the background of the album's title as Babcock sings, 'I'm losing the will to keep dragging on / But I can't die yet 'cause who will look after the dog?'
Dark, self-deprecating humor permeates the album — and PUP's work as a whole — like in the gritty 'Olive Garden,' when Babcock asks a past romantic partner to meet up at the restaurant, ('Last time your Grandma was in a coffin') or in the bittersweet 'Hunger For Death,' in which Babcock curses, '(expletive) everyone in this venue / especially me, especially me.'
The word 'messy' might be used to describe 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?' But it can be enjoyable in an unpolished way.
The 12-track album features the frustration and brash style that PUP is known for, and its cathartic as always, especially in 'Get Dumber' featuring scene stalwart Jeff Rosenstock and 'Concrete.'
But some songs take a step back from the band's usual frenetic energy, especially the ones reflecting Babcock's romantic relationships. That is where the album can tend to lag, like in breakup ballads 'Best Revenge' and 'Shut Up.'
There are pleasures and missteps across the album, but the latter outweighs the former, making this one of the weaker releases across PUP's animated discography.
But hey, at least they had fun. Does that make it good? Still, no. But the punk band probably couldn't care less. Rock on, PUP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
Soccer's Wrexham chooses Long Island for first US youth camp
The kids are getting a kick out of this. Wrexham AFC, the Welsh soccer team made famous by celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, is running its first-ever youth camp in the US — and picked the Long Island soccer hot spot of Massapequa to hold it. 'You can clearly see that they've already had some coaching — and it's great seeing their ability,' said Josh Evans, Wrexham's longtime program officer, of the local talent at Burns Park in Nassau County. 7 Josh Evans, program officer at Wrexham AFC Foundation, giving instructions to young soccer players at a clinic hosted by Wrexham AFC soccer club in Massapequa on Aug. 18, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 7 Wrexham chose Massapequa to host the team's first-ever youth camp in Long Island. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post The Massapequa Soccer Club and Long Island Junior Soccer League helped score the world-class team for the special camp, which includes some of Wrexham's top trainers, such as former star Ben Tozer. 'It also shows these players that, 'Hey, that could be me,' said John Fitzgerald, the sporting director for the Long Island Junior Soccer League. Grace Robson, 10, who loves the team's docuseries 'Welcome to Wrexham,' said her dreams have gotten bigger after seeing and learning from her heroes up close in person. 'I was so excited, I couldn't sleep the night before,' she said of the camp. 'And I get to hear their accents and stuff like that — I thought that was kind of funny.' 7 Grace Robson (center) is a fan of the series 'Welcome to Wrexham.' Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 7 John Fitzgerald (left) , the sporting director for the Long Island Junior Soccer League, and Paul Bigilin, Director of Coaching at Massapequa Soccer Club, at the Massapequa soccer clinic. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Evans is playing along by teaching the kids some Welsh colloquialisms, such as how 'bore da' translates to good morning. 'Oh, they're loving it,' he said, adding that the staff has been recognized by fans all over since their flight touched down in Queens. Pitching in Getting Wrexham stateside was the work of a bit of magic from Paul Bigilin, Massapequa Soccer Club's director, along with Fitzgerald and town soccer icon Jim Kilmeade, the brother of Fox News host Brian. They connected with Terry Barton, CEO of the UK-based soccer development program the Coaching Manual, who had relations with the fellas at Wrexham. 'They know we have a long history of soccer and the local and national stage in Massapequa,' said Bigilin, whose son Nick is a coach with the men's team at Long Island University. Aside from fun and games for the kids, each day brings a different theme of soccer fundamentals. 7 Wrexham AFC is co-owned by American actors Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds. AP 7 Wrexham's Lewis O'Brien celebrating a goal during a game against West Bromwich Albion in Wrexham, Wales on Aug. 16, 2025. Cody Froggatt/PA via AP Fitzgerald, who is the head coach of the Long Island-based American Soccer Club, a k a the Fighting Tomcats, added that he may be assessing his future roster these next few days. 'The majority of our team is local,' he noted of the National Premier Soccer League group. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Fitzgerald said events such as this, plus excellent coaching, can be pivotal in seeing through a child star's development for future careers on the island — or perhaps on a bigger stage across The Pond some day. 'That's why and how players stay in the game,' he said. 7 The kids were able to get pointers from the Welsh club's top trainers. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Kilmeade — who played as a kid in Massapequa and later for nearby Hofstra University and is now American SC's general manager Wrexham — said the camp continues to put the area on the soccer map. 'This initiative reflects one of our Fighting Tomcats' core values — making Long Island and the metro New York area a true epicenter for American soccer development and excellence,' he said.
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Charlotte culinary duo gets national TV spotlight
"Fork & Hammer," the reality TV show about local restaurateurs Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, will premiere at the newly-restored Carolina Theatre next month. Why it matters: The husband-and-wife duo launched Crepe Cellar in NoDa during the 2009 recession without prior restaurant experience. Since then, they've built a thriving family-run empire comprising local beloved spots — Haberdish, Supperland, Ever Andalo, Growlers, and Leluia Hall — all while raising a family, preserving historic buildings and navigating Charlotte's evolving culinary landscape. Driving the news: Tickets are on sale for the Oct. 7 premiere. Charlotteans will get a first look one week before the show debuts nationwide. PBS North Carolina will air Fork & Hammer every Wednesday, starting Oct. 15, at 2pm and on Sundays, starting Oct. 19, at 11:30am. Season 1 will air on PBS stations nationwide this fall, with exact dates and times rolling out market by market. What to expect: The series follows the couple as they run their five businesses, manage more than 230 employees, open their newest restaurant, Leluia Hall, and save the Leeper-Wyatt building, one of the oldest retail structures in the South End area. The evening kicks off with a lobby meet-and-greet, followed by the 26-minute first episode, "It Started with a Crêpe," which revisits the couple's first restaurant, Crêpe Cellar Kitchen & Pub. Tennis champion and Charlotte resident Andy Roddick will moderate a live Q&A with Tonidandel and Brown after the screening. Behind the scenes: The 10-episode first season, produced by Susie Films and presented by SCETV, will be distributed nationally by American Public Television. "It's entrepreneurship, it's risk-taking, it's the real behind-the-scenes of what it takes to keep these places going," Brown tells Axios. Flashback: Susie Films, a Charlotte-based production company, reached out to Brown and Tonidandel after spotting them on the 2023 cover of Charlotte magazine. From there, Susie Films pitched the concept to several outlets, including Netflix, Magnolia, Food Network and PBS. They raised $1 million from sponsors to produce the show, including ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Trust20, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and Biltmore Estate Winery. The big picture: Charlotte's food scene is heading to the national stage in more ways than one. "Fork & Hammer" is coming to TVs across the country at the same time Charlotte is earning fresh culinary cred, from being named host city for "Top Chef" season 23 to the Michelin Guide's expansion into the Southeast. Between the lines: Congress recently cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, forcing its shutdown by early 2026 and leaving PBS and NPR stations scrambling, with layoffs, hiring freezes and emergency fundraising drives.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Woman Swaps Seats With Kid on Plane, Couldn't Predict What He Would Do Next
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Denver woman says she narrowly avoided a travel nightmare on a United Airlines flight after making a split-second decision to switch seats with a young child—unknowingly sidestepping a midair vomit incident that would leave his father in the "splash zone." The incident was detailed in a video was posted by Chelsea Anderson (@chelseaexplainsitall on TikTok and @Chelsea_Explains on Instagram), a 33-year-old Colorado-based content creator. In the clip, Anderson describes how a simple act of kindness spared her from becoming collateral damage in a turbulent landing. "Sometimes it's a blessing when a person is in your seat on a plane," reads the text overlaid on the video. The incident unfolded on a recent United flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Denver International Airport (DIA). Anderson originally booked a window seat for the flight. "I actually prefer aisle seats. I had booked the trip last minute, so the window was all that was left," Anderson told Newsweek. When she boarded, she found a young child, around 3 or 4 years old, already seated at the window, with his father in the middle seat. A screenshot from a viral TikTok video of Chelsea Anderson detailing her unexpected seat swap on a plane. A screenshot from a viral TikTok video of Chelsea Anderson detailing her unexpected seat swap on a plane. @chelseaexplainsitall on TikTok Instead of asking them to move, Anderson opted to take the aisle. "It was a win win; the dad and son didn't have to move and I got the aisle," she said. It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. As the flight neared Denver, the weather took a sharp turn. "The flight was a little under three hours, but we only had turbulence when landing," Anderson said. "The weather was so bad that day, we almost had to reroute to Grand Junction [a regional airport]. I wouldn't say it was the worst I'd ever experienced, but it was way worse than a typical bumpy DIA landing." The turbulence during the flight incident in the viral post is not surprising because clear-air turbulence (CAT) was found to have increased over the past 40 years or so, according to a June 2023 study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The study found that the increases were largest over the U.S. and North Atlantic, both of which are busy flight regions. According to the study, "severe-or-greater CAT increased the most, becoming 55 percent more frequent in 2020 than 1979," and CAT is "projected to intensify in response to future climate change." In the case of the TikTok clip, the turbulence shook more than just the cabin. In the video, Anderson says: "I think what happened is that [the child] vomited with such force … that it splashed back on his dad and covered his dad … it was in his eyes, it was in his nose, it was in his mouth, not a pretty sight." While Anderson was spared, the child's father took the brunt of the airborne eruption. Despite the messy situation, Anderson said the dad remained calm and composed throughout. "But the dad stays unbelievably calm," she says in the clip. "He's trying to solve the problem, he's like [telling the child], 'Okay buddy, you threw up. We're gonna try to clean it up. We're not landed yet' … he's so polite and he's so nice to his kid … he's like dad of the freaking year. "And the kid is also very regulated, which tells me that this is how the dad always acts, not just how the dad acts in public," Anderson added. She told Newsweek that several people offered help during the ordeal. "I asked a man across the aisle for a spare barf bag, and he was happy to oblige. A gentleman behind us offered the dad some positive encouragement," she said. "As far as I know only the dad was in the splash zone." She said she was particularly moved by the father's compassion during the chaotic moment. "Obviously it was a stressful situation and I'm sure the dad wanted to make sure no one around them had been impacted, but I was touched with how reassuring the dad was," she said. "He took his son's mind off the situation and made him feel better while also trying to handle the mess, which is hard to do during a bumpy plane landing." As the two walked behind her on the jet bridge after landing, Anderson overheard the dad telling his son that "he was the luckiest dad in the world (not sarcastically!)," she noted in the caption of the video. Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
