NEUTRAL SNAP’S NEW SINGLE “PAT YOUR OWN BACK,” WILL SURPRISE YOU

Some songs start as small trickles of inspiration before budding into full-on catharsis. This is true for “Pat Your Own Back” by Neutral Snap. The pop-punk group has a knack for introspective lyricism, but their take on dynamic tension makes this single stand out. Admittedly, I was reserved about it at first; once the build kicked in, though, it was game over.

It starts off very slowly, to the point where one might wonder if it would go anywhere at all.

Spoiler: it does!

The crescendo at the build adds serious momentum to the otherwise emotionally heavy single. It’s like a major release after pent-up emotion kept you up for months post-breakup. Sometimes, the feelings only hit after the fact. “Pat Your Own Back” symbolizes that kind of character arc, where you realize you are being treated poorly long after the fact, and you can transform those sad feelings into an epic outburst of angst.

Perhaps the coolest part about “Pat Your Own Back” by Neutral Snap is the way the narrator finally convinces himself that his ex-partner did not mean “any of that.” In admitting this to himself, he can finally let the situation go. The narrator’s character arc is arguably more impressive than the absolute shreddage in the instrumental.