As summer has come to an end, it is time to start unpacking our pumpkin-flavored beers, our beanies, and of course or autumn pop punk tracks. Long Island’s Dino Skatepark has released their second single of this year on all places you listen to music, “North-South”. It perfectly encompasses the changing of season; it feels nostalgic, yet gives a fresh spin on emo-alternative and ska-punk genres.
As a long-time listener of the band, I immediately noticed how incredibly different yet uniquely Dino Skatepark this release sounded. Where their previous releases, such as “Subtle As A Shotgun” and “Patchwork”, are punchy and high-energy “North-South” feels delicate and reflective, referencing an acceptance of being changed by force and time but continuing to press on and growing despite that (“It’s taken me years to finally realize/that I can be a good skipping stone/the flow of time has taken and eroded me/so I can sail across the sea”). Whether this is a reference to the band members’ individual journeys through their mid-twenties, a commentary on the decade that has been 2020, or a hint at a new wave of Dino Skatepark, is unclear but the lyrics coupled with the instrumentals are sublime, expertly paired with visuals from the album art and lyric video.
Be sure to stream “North-South” on all places you listen to music and follow Dino Skatepark on all social media platforms to keep up-to-date with their releases!