Although many pop punk bands play a very similar style of music, there are some bands that do things a little bit differently. Real Friends is one of those bands that goes above and beyond, and really sticks out from the crowd of “generic” pop punk bands. Pop punk has steadily been growing in popularity and gaining quite a decent following and we can thank bands like Chicago Illinois’ “Real Friends” for that.I was first introduced to this band by hearing a stream of their newest EP, Everyone That Dragged You Here, that was released in January. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I listened to any of their previous work. Their first EP called “This Is Honesty” was released in 2011. This is Honesty is an incredibly catchy and good pop punk EP, but the progression that Real Friends displays on Everyone That Dragged You Here is astounding.As soon as the new EP opens with “Floorboards”, you’re hit with a pretty nice intro riff that leads into a very good first verse. There are several melodic leads and catchy riffs throughout the opening track, but if you’re looking for the best song, you won’t find it here. However, you won’t need to go much further. The second track, Anchor Down, is full of good leads, drumming, vocals, and lyrics. My favourite lyric on this fourteen and a half minute masterpiece is “You can anchor down your feet and say fuck the past and everyone that dragged you here”. Additionally, the guitar riff at that part in the song is spectacular. Thus, the reasoning behind why it will most likely be the favourite to many fans.The next two tracks are “Keep It Together” and “Everything I Never Want To Be”. Like the rest of the EP, everything sounds great, crisp, and catchy.The final track, Home for Fall, is a song about missing someone who used to be a dear friend that moved away. The lyrics are pretty powerful and the best line is the uplifting line “Keep your chin up out there. Don’t forget where you came from and who cares about you” which you hear around the midway part of the song.This EP is a must have for anyone who likes pop punk. If “Everyone That Dragged You Here” is any indication of what Real Friends is capable of doing, they definitely have a very bright future ahead of them, and you should try to keep an eye/ear on this band at all times because who knows what they’ll come up with next! 
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