Album review: 'Oblivious'

By Katie Halligan

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Pawner

'Oblivious'

Self-released

pawnerband.bandcamp.com

Singer-songwriter Aidan Snyder's band Pawner has been making its way through the local pop-punk scene since 2014. After surviving a number of lineup changes, Pawner is celebrating the release of its full-length debut album, "Oblivious."

Many of the songs on "Oblivious" have poetic lyrics about love, but songs such as "Perfectly Fine" are also about being defiantly different from the rest of the world. Snyder has an agile, tenor voice that can give an effective scratch or scream where necessary, surrounded by a chorus of dense and colorful backing harmonies in "But For Real This Time" and the aforementioned "Perfectly Fine."

Songs like "Mr. Stark" and "My Wounded Soul" feature catchy guitar melodies and explosive guitar solos in the bridge. Listeners can also enjoy headbangers like "Go Find Yourself" and "Oblivious," or slower, more melodic songs like "Pour Out the Bottle."

It's clear upon listening to "Oblivious" that Pawner is moving in a new direction as Snyder develops and matures as a musician. The types of chord progressions and songwriting techniques have expanded since its EP, "Broken Switches," and the band plays with more confidence as a result. Pawner's new album "Oblivious" is an alternative-pop-punk delight sprinkled with sonic surprises.