Inspired by pop-punk acts such as Green Day and Blink-182, Signals Midwest regularly veers from pop-punk formula to throw in “crazy, noodle-y guitar solos,” as singer-guitarist Max Stern once put it.

Past albums have helped the band land on Alternative Press‘ “100 bands to Check Out” lists. Now, its latest album, At This Age, has caught national attention too.

Produced by Into It. Over It.’s Evan Weiss, the album opens with the crunchy guitars and constipated vocals of “You’re Gonna Be Golden” and then veers into shimmering sing-a-longs (“West Side Summer”) and brittle mid-tempo rock (“At This Age”). “If you dig melodic punk rock at all, you should give this a shot,” proclaims Brooklyn Vegan. Spin calls it the band’s “most mature record to date,” and the album, which comes out on Friday, is currently streaming on the Spin site.  

The group hits the road in early September, returning to town to play Mahall’s in Lakewood on Sept. 14 and the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights on Oct. 14. 

This article appears in Aug 24-30, 2016.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.