There’s something wonderfully messy about being young, overwhelmed, and trying to figure out who the hell you’re supposed to be. Cinema Stare lean directly into that chaos on their new Stink E.P., out now via Static Era Records. Rather than presenting pop-punk as nothing more than catchy guitars and nostalgic energy, the Connecticut band use the genre to unpack insecurity, frustration, identity, mental health, and the strange pressure that comes with growing up in a world that constantly tells you that you’re not doing enough.
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Chris Teti at Silver Bullet Studios and mastered by Will Putney, the six-track release sounds polished without losing the frantic personality that makes Cinema Stare so engaging. Their influences ranging from Motion City Soundtrack and Fall Out Boy to Michelle Branch can be felt throughout the EP, but the band never comes across as simply recreating an earlier era of pop-punk. Instead, they take familiar ingredients and give them a more modern emotional edge.
From the beginning, Stink refuses to play it safe.
“Plus Ultra!” kicks the EP into gear with sharp guitars, energetic vocals, and an unapologetic lyrical attack aimed at online bigotry. The track establishes one of the record’s biggest strengths: Cinema Stare aren’t afraid to make their opinions known. There’s humor and sarcasm woven into the aggression, giving the song a sense of personality rather than turning it into a straightforward rant.
Then comes “FML,” which shifts the focus inward. The opening line, “I think my therapist knows your therapist,” immediately captures the song’s self-aware humor before the track dives into feelings of helplessness and emotional exhaustion. Its chorus “They say suck it up you’re so dramatic, but what if I can’t?” hits because it captures an experience that is painfully familiar: being told to simply move on when you’re already struggling to keep yourself together.
“Skipping” provides one of the EP’s most interesting arrangements. Beginning acoustically, the song gradually expands into something much more rhythmic and energetic. That progression mirrors the feeling of slowly losing your footing before everything starts moving faster than you can process. It’s a strong example of Cinema Stare using arrangement as part of the storytelling rather than simply relying on volume and distortion.
The EP ultimately lands on “Scissors,” featuring Jess Hall of Oldsoul, and the collaboration gives the closing track an especially personal quality. The song confronts body-image struggles and the pressure to conform to unrealistic expectations, ultimately turning its attention toward self-acceptance. Ending the EP on that note gives Stink a surprisingly hopeful final chapter.
What makes Stink work is its willingness to be fun and uncomfortable at the same time. Cinema Stare deliver songs that are catchy enough to get stuck in your head, but underneath those melodies are frustrations that don’t disappear once the song ends. The record understands that humor, anger, anxiety, and vulnerability can all exist simultaneously.
The keyboards add another layer to the band’s sound, helping separate the EP from a standard guitar-driven pop-punk release. Combined with punchy instrumentation and passionate vocals, they create a colorful backdrop for lyrics that are often considerably heavier than the music initially suggests.
Cinema Stare have created a pop-punk EP that doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of growing up. Stink is loud, melodic, sarcastic, vulnerable, and occasionally chaotic in exactly the right ways. It feels less like a collection of songs about having everything figured out and more like six snapshots of trying to survive adulthood while laughing at the absurdity of it all. And honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what pop-punk is supposed to sound like.
Cinema Stare will celebrate with a release show on August 29th at Rockhopper in Milford, CT with support from Waiver and Nicoteens. Tickets on sale HERE.
Stink E.P. Tracklist:
1. Plus Ultra!
2. Few Things
3. FML
4. James Pack
5. Skipping
6. Scissors ft. Jess Hall of Oldsoul
Upcoming Shows:
8/29 Milford, CT @ Rockhopper w/ Waiver, Nicoteens
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