Abba meets Pop-Punk in Allison & Moon’s newest single “Abba Gold”
Cover art for Allison & Moon’s Newest Single, “Abba Gold”
Punchy, upbeat and pissed off, Boston based power pop punk band Allison & Moon cope with a breakup in their new single “Abba Gold.” Described as “a happy person who writes sad songs,” Allison Griggs has a talent for blending raw emotion with earworm inducing rhymes. Abba Gold exemplifies this clever style. Ripped straight from the early 2000s/late 90s sound, the song is soaked in pop punk nostalgia.
“Abba Gold” is the sixth single release from the band since they started putting out original songs in 2018. It represents a shift in the band’s songwriting and production style; originally Griggs was the sole songwriter and handled a good chunk of the production on her own. Over time, however, as guitarist Teli Bwahvair, drummer Chris Canieso and bassist Mike Hayden joined, the process shifted to a collaborative team effort. Each of them brings in a different set of aesthetic goals and tastes when it comes to music. The combination of Griggs and Bwahvair’s heavier rock and metal interests with Canieso and Hayden’s pop punk leanings creates a sound that is both bubbly and aggressive, light and weighty all at the same time.
Pop punk as a genre is no stranger to breakup songs, many of the genre's biggest classics deal with the ending of relationships. With its iconic blend of punk and metal inspired instrumentals and catchy pop driven lyrics, but the lyrical inspirations for “Abba Gold” go a bit further back. As the title suggests, the song’s first draft came from Griggs taking a line from every song off of Abba’s 2008 compilation album Gold. “I was going through a period of writer’s block,” says Griggs, “I just took one line from every song on that record until I had a kind of story.”
Sonically speaking, “Abba Gold” gives off a mixture of pent up rage, longing, and heartbreak. The lyrics go through the stages of a breakup from confusion in the first verse, all the way to bitter acceptance in the bridge. Lyrics like “don’t you know I’m in pain? // I’m in pain, are you sad? // And have you cried as much as I have?” encapsulate the feeling of anger towards another person and the desire for a cathartic last word, While at the same time secretly hoping that they feel the same hurt and longing as you do. Combine all this with a catchy chorus that mirrors the conflict of emotions in the refrain “Won’t go faking my emotions...Won’t laugh or pretend I’m smiling” and “Don’t go don’t go.” Add in the pop punk staple of an energetic guitar intro to top it all off. The single is pop punk breakup song gold.
You can listen to “Abba Gold” and the rest of Allison & Moon’s discography on their Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music. Keep up with them on social media via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for information on new releases and upcoming shows.