It’s go time!: Indie pop band takes their more evolved bubbly sound on the road for summer tour

Above photo: Kevin Deems

The growing family of indie pop continues to make great strides in the music world. Luckily, acts like Never Shout Never are now making in-roads back into the public spotlight.

The Joplin, Missouri indie pop band Never Shout Never, a heavy draw at past Vans Warped tours, has a new record on their hands. Black Cat, their sixth album on the Sire imprint, rose to number 52 on the Billboard 200 and managed to pull of two singles, the catchy “Hey! We OK” and “Red Balloon.”

Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Christofer Drew, the band’s sound has evolved over time to include a glossier pop finish, more disco offerings (“BOOM!’), quasi-’80’s synthpop throwbacks (“WooHoo”) and a bubblier crossover quality. Music critics are definitely picking up on the new direction. “Big-budget production values scream out at you from every nook and cranny of Black Cat, but its blatantly commercial ethic actually frees Drew to run wild, his sense of freedom making for a giddy listen,” wrote music critic Saby Reyes-Kulkarni at Diffuser.

The band is currently on a summer tour, with stops in New Orleans, Birmingham and two dates in Florida (Jacksonville, Tampa) this week. HiFi will be there at the Birmingham show (WorkPlay) and will present a concert review on Never Shout Never’s bubbly pop party.

LISTEN TO “HEY! WE OK” | FROM NEVER SHOUT NEVER’S BLACK CAT (2016)