Scarlet Street, a boisterous four-piece hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, play the kind of achingly honest yet playfully hooky pop punk that sometimes feels like it doesn’t exist anymore. Effortlessly evoking a sense of nostalgia with vibrant melodies and warm, organic production,

Scarlet Street is bolstered by the comfortingly snotty voice and smartly self-lacerating lyrics of vocalist and guitarist Ben Seitz. With songs that fearlessly confront the universal failings of being human, the overall effect of listening to Scarlet Street is not unlike a friendly, genuine smile offered through a black eye and a busted lip. Scarlet Street’s best quality is their resolute fearlessness of baring everything for their audience. With songs revolving around topics ranging from dealing with friends descending into addiction to the experience of living in a terrible apartment with wretched roommates to executive dysfunction and failing physical health, Scarlet Street have no shortage of lyrics about incredibly painful topics. It is a testament to the sheer power of their sharply-observed lyrics, sticky pop melodies, and polished performances that you can only listen to these songs with a smile on your face. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.