Detention – Not To Go (2021)
Detention has already had us lost in frenetic waves of energy through their single ’56 Minutes’, before they thrust us into their mature take on adolescence that is ‘Good + Ready’. Now, they are getting the party started with the emo ska jam ‘Not To Go’. Lyrically telling the story of a teenager who can’t get out of town fast enough, the single brings begging and pleading for help to passionate vocals.
Sucking listeners into the story of teenage angst and the longing for something more than what life has to offer, the band continues to showcase that their musicality is far greater than their age. Infusing their undeniable energy into the music, they get you shouting along to relatable lyrics that are too catchy for their own good. The solid pop-punk sound of the band blasts through your senses in this track, easily topping everything that has come before.
‘Not To Go’ grabs your attention with a pulse of rock guitars that drops only for the melody to rise beneath your feet and shove you into the soundscape. There is a high-octane energy woven into the music that shakes up your muscles making you want to jump around with abandon. As you rock out to the melody, there is an underlying movement that brings a pulse to the sound. The merger of the energetic tones and this pulse enhances the excellent vibes of the single. There is no way you can listen to this melody and not feel the urge to move around in some way. As with all their music, the band is able to infuse their youthful energy into a sound that is sophisticated and mature in a way far beyond their years. The bridge later in the track has a building feeling that rises to a vocal crescendo.
As you are rocking out to the punk-rock sounds of the melody, the vocals have a more sombre feeling. The energy of the music propels the vocals into a catchy movement, but the lyrics have a much deeper message. There is a desire to escape the world you find yourself in, but this is tempered with the yearning for someone to tell you not to go. The push and pull of wanting to leave and wanting someone to keep you there has been wonderfully balanced. This is all packed into catchy vocals that make you want to shout along. This is definitely a single you want to turn the volume up on and blare while having a blast getting down to it.
Detention blasts their youthful energy in ‘Not To Go’ while balancing wanting to leave with wanting someone to make you stay. The mature and sophisticated take on these conflicting emotions is paired beautifully with their energetic sound. They will have you shouting out with the vocals, turning the volume up and having a great time without any effort.
Find out more about Detention on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
