The Puerto Rican independent music scene has had its fair share of successful rock bands from a variety of genres, starting with the ska-punk originals Skapulario, to the alternative-indie-rock influenced Circo, and the recent surf-rock based Los Petardos! However, there has never been a pop-punk group to gain some form of mainstream success except for one band that has the potential to do so, and that is the youthful Corre Forrest! With the release of their debut album, Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer, the IndiePush Agency-supported band provides some adrenaline-fueled energy reminiscent of the golden era of pop-punk.
(cover for Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer as found on Corre Forrest!’s Facebook page)
With songs like “La Clase y El Equipaje” and the album’s title track, “Corre Forrest!”, manage to transmit high-octane energy that will have listeners head banging, dancing, jumping, and creating mosh pits. Throughout the project’s entirety, the young band shows that their golden era pop-punk influenced sound is one to pay attention to. Furthermore, the fact that they decided to only have eleven songs in the album demonstrates their attention to provide only what is best out of their repertoire. Unlike many musicians today who make albums with over eighteen songs just to have multiple streams, Corre Forrest! focuses on quality over quantity and manage to deliver a concise project with replay value. However, while the young band delivers a great debut project, it begs one to ask many questions.
(Corre Forrest! performing by Gabe Lopez as found on the band’s Facebook page)
Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer is a fantastic introduction to those who have never listened to Corre Forrest! Yet, it begs one to question how the band will evolve in a future project. In the current musical landscape, solo artists, particularly those in hip-hop and electronic music, are the ones who gain the most attention. Every day bands, groups, and orchestras are getting less attention, especially those related to rock and its sub-genres. Hence, it is inevitable for one to question how the band will evolve as time progresses. Nevertheless, as listeners, we should try to get this thought out of our minds as we listen to Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer and just try to enjoy it for what it is.
(Corre Forrest! performing by Giovanni Fuentes as found on the band’s Facebook page)
With their debut album, Corre Forrest! demonstrates the influence pop-punk still has on the culture, and their youthful adrenaline-fueled songs are nothing but reminiscent of the genre’s golden era. The band shows their potential to be the first Puerto Rican pop-punk band to have some form of mainstream success. Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer is a great listen for pop-punk fans everywhere and another demonstration of the renaissance of the independent Puerto Rican art scene.
Listen to Nadie Nos Enseñó A Crecer on Spotify here