Artist: Harper Kill
Album: Harper Kill
Release: April 10, 2026; Tiny Lighter Records
I am going to be real with y’all, I don’t know much about the musical history of Michigan other than the fact that Eminem vomited his mom’s spaghetti onto a sweater there once, and a guy named Andy likes to party really hard there. Well, those 2 things, and the fact that one of the most interesting punk bands I have heard in recent times call Grand Rapids, Michigan home. Harper Kill roughly 2 years ago served up a tiny taste of what they had to offer when they released their first EP “A Taste of Harper Kill”. I was absolutely enamored by it. So it is an understatement to say that I am stoked to just now be dished out a full helping of Harper Kill.
First, I want to point out the the songs from the EP are also included on this album. It kind of amuses me that they literally said they were giving us a taste of “Harper Kill” their full length album. I adore the pun. Seriously! For real I am only bringing this up because I had assumed my favorite song on the album would be “Death and Taxes” from the EP. I wrote about how much I loved it [here]. Boy was I wrong. While that song is still at the top “The Sun Will Do You Good” instantly won me over as my favorite from this release. It starts out with almost cartoonishly bright guitar. Then, the first words drift in sounding up beat and well meaning “We think its time to go outside, the sun will do you good”. Yes, the stereotypical advice delivered to individuals dealing with depression. Well intentioned, but realistically never a fix all. It is a great way to start a song that is about struggling with mental health and dealing with people who do not really understand, but try to help anyway. The line that really hits for me is the line from the chorus “I’ve got swagger like I’m Anthony Bourdain”. First off, of all the pop culture celebrities, he is probably the most punk and definitely has massive amounts of swagger. More importantly, however, is that he was an individual who battled with mental health even though he wasn’t very candid about it while he was alive. So, in a sense, this line has a double meaning. Its saying I am a cool guy while also saying—secretly, I am struggling y’all. This combined with the contrast of bright positive sound of the music and the grim reality of the lyrics make the song something really special.
“B.L.O.A.T.” is the sleeper hit to come over from the EP. It is such a great song and the opening guitar and bass are just super engaging and the guitar solo towards the end is the pure cherry on top. I must confess that the opening verse really sent me into a mini existential crisis. It straight up got me wondering if I am the B.L.O.A.T. I am constantly complaining about the government, about how things need to be run differently and I often do it with little regard for appropriate timing. Ultimately, the song is about the struggle of cutting a longterm friend out of your life after you have clearly grown past them. However, for me at least it is a nice reminder to maybe be a little more chill and self aware in regards to how I interact with my friends.
I am sure that I have said this a few times in the past, but I am mostly a lyrics and meaning kind of guy. The music is often secondary for me as a way to help convey and enhance the way the song is supposed to make you feel. “Antidote” makes me crumble up that belief and throw it in the bin. The guitars in this song are so swanky so cool that I just want to sit there and listen to them all day. The PA bit and bell that periodically rings through out the song adds this additional richness to the song that I love. The vocal performance becomes secondary in the song. Dylan Perkins has an exceptional voice especial for a punk band and here in this song it punctuates the music in a fantastic way. The lyrics become somewhat tertiary in my total enjoyment of this particular song. The lyrics are about the souring of a relationship and I find myself wondering if it is the same relationship featured in “B.L.O.A.T.”. “Antidote” is the point in the relationship where the realization is made that it is toxic. And “B.L.O.A.T.” is the actual end. This is my head canon, anyhow.
Harper Kill, the album, is a great full length initial offering that has somehow exceeded the high expectations I had for it after the release of the 2024 EP. Every song on the album is a banger. Harper Kill, the band, manages to capture a sound that is high reminiscent for early 2000’s pop-punk while having their finger firmly on the pulse of modern culture and issues. Their willingness to engage with those issues is admirable and very befitting a modern punk band. I honestly feel that Harper Kill is going to go places. If I were you, I would definitely invest early in Harper Kill—as the kids say—because there are gains to be had.