Pollyanna

Pollyanna sounds like the precise moment a pop melody hits a wall of distortion. It is bright, neon-streaked punk music that refuses to sacrifice its grit for the sake of a hook. The guitars are thick and overdriven, providing a dense foundation for vocals that pivot effortlessly from melodic sweetness to a throat-shredding rasp. It captures the frantic, high-stakes energy of a DIY basement show but delivers it with the punch of a modern studio production.

What sets them apart is the 'abrasive' edge they lean into. While many of their contemporaries lean toward the 'pop' side of pop-punk, Pollyanna embraces the 'punk' with jagged structures and a vocal delivery that feels genuinely urgent. There is a sense of queer defiance and radical self-acceptance baked into the songwriting, making the music feel like a sanctuary for outsiders who still want to dance.

Start with the 2022 album Slime to hear the band at their most cohesive and explosive. It perfectly balances their knack for earworm choruses with the heavy, textured instrumentation that has become their signature. It is the ideal entry point for anyone who misses the raw emotion of early 2000s alternative but wants a sound that feels firmly rooted in the present.