Pool Kids - Easier Said Than Done

Pool Kids are getting better at being exactly who they are. On ‘Easier Said Than Done’, the Florida quartet sharpen their songwriting, soften their edges and somehow manage to sound both more playful and more poignant. It’s a record that leans into vulnerability without losing its bite, swapping frantic noise for something with a little more air and a lot more heart.

There’s still grit here, sure. ‘Bad Bruise’ crashes and burns with bruised-knee guitar urgency, while ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ and ‘Which Is Worse?’ aren’t afraid to gnash their teeth. But across the record, there’s a softness creeping in - warm, worn-in, and surprisingly catchy.

Take early track ‘Tinted Windows’, a shimmering slice of vulnerability where vocalist Christine Goodwyne sighs: “I know I said I’d do better this time”. It’s charming in its directness, the kind of lyric that’s all diary page and no filter. ‘Not Too Late’ is another standout: a punchy, boppy mid-album sugar hit that dances around the kind of twinkly guitar lines that made early 2010s Tumblr kids fall in love with emo revival in the first place.

Then there’s ‘Leona Street’, one of the album’s most immediate moments. A hook-laden earworm with shout-along energy, it’s destined to become a live favourite. That knack for hooks also shines on the record’s gentler side. ‘Perfect View’, a slow-burn, glows like a sunset. “It’s a perfect view, ’cause I’m here with you,” Goodwyne sings, and yeah, it’s a bit soppy, but sometimes sincerity is punk too.

What’s most striking, though, is how Pool Kids let themselves evolve without shedding their skin. The technical flourishes are still there, but there’s a newfound clarity, both musically and emotionally: this album is less about proving themselves and more about existing unapologetically. If their self-titled debut was the sound of a band arriving, ‘Easier Said Than Done’ is the sound of them moving in, painting the walls and leaving the front door open.