With females being vastly under-represented within the music industry it’s refreshing to see a band like Forever Starts Today hit the ground running, with no intentions of stopping anytime soon. The Austin, TX based, female-fronted, pop-punk act released their debut full length album, Always Hope August 25th via Third String Records. This album is packed with upbeat, catchy tunes that hone in on some of the most challenging aspects of being a young adult, tackling topics like loss and abusive relationships while still maintaining some semblance of hope as the album title suggests.

Opening with a banger, “Invincible” starts the album on a very positive tone, radiating the kind of carefree youthfulness we all wish we had a little more of on some days. Complete with one hell of a guitar solo, gang vocals, and an addictive chorus Forever Starts Today shows you a glimpse of what they’re made of in the opening number. The most recent single off of Always Hope, “Last One Standing” starts to show off the grit that the band truly has, with edgier lyrics and instrumentals and more of a snarl to Christina Murphy’s vocals. “Last One Standing” is the song you’ll blast on a long drive with a good friend to help empower and lift each other up. The strength and inspiration continues with “Echo” and “Optimist” which battle leaving an abusive relationship and refusing to let yourself be the victim of someone else’s demons respectively. Forever Starts Today has an incredible way of discussing this serious, and at times grim subject matter in a way that is both positive and uplifting for listeners. Showcasing their versatility musically, “Alannah” is a stripped down, acoustic number displaying a softer side to Christina’s vocals as well as to the band as a whole. Wrapping up the album, the title track “Always Hope” is the perfect example of what this album is as a whole, encapsulating what it means to have hope and the tenacity that Forever Starts Today has.

Always Hope is the end of the summer pop-punk album that you didn’t know you needed. Each song on the album is crafted with purpose and equipped with choruses you don’t want out of your head, upbeat instrumentals (and a quite few bad ass guitar solo's), and meaningful messages. So my suggestion to you is to grab a pal and check out Always Hope immediately. 

Check out the music video for their single (and probably one of my favorite's on the album) "Last One Standing" below!