Recommended Tracks: “Voicemail,” “Win Some, Lose Somebody,” “Not The 1975”
Artists you may like: Braden Bales, The Wldlife, The Band CAMINO
Through countless melodies and chord progressions, catchy lyrics, and witty songwriting, Knox has not shied away from showing his audience who he is. Evolving through various EPs over the course of his career, this “corn-fed kid” has used his differences as strengths and channeled his similarities into songwriting—his reach has spanned far beyond the East Coast.
It’s no surprise that his debut album is effectively an extension of what we already knew about him. His long-anticipated record Going, Going, Gone promised tracks to sing to, dance to, and cry to. And knowing Knox, he knew how to deliver. Taking what he liked and leaving what he didn’t, the album dips in and out of early 2000s nostalgia mixed with pop-punk elements, reminiscent of The All American Rejects and early blink-182. The record includes high-energy pop vocals with a Warped Tour vibe, both appealing to pop-punkers and engaging new listeners. Coming in at 45 minutes long, it’s the longest body of work Knox has released to date.
It begins hastily with the up-tempo “Now & Then.” He sings, “Write it down on paper so you don’t forget,” likely and aptly referencing the paper scattered on the album’s art. Setting the scene for the tracks to follow, “Now & Then” features a clapping backtrack and a biting bridge. Featured as his second single, “You Happened” comes up second on the track list. Nashville neighbor nightly’s “hate my favorite band” walked so “You Happened” could run. Delving into a past relationship, it details all the things you used to love, outlining how memories that were once looked at fondly are now hard to look at in hindsight.
The title track comes early on, at number 3. “Going, Going, Gone” is the album’s most streamed song on Spotify that was not released as a single, with 177,000 streams and counting just days after its release. The lyrics go, “By the time you read this, I’ll be West Coast bound,” from the girl’s perspective, possibly hinting that Knox was still on the East Coast. This line seemed to nod to his song “NYC“ from his first EP, How to Lose A Girl in 7 Songs, making this reference an homage to his earlier work. Not only is this a deep-cut reference, but this song really showcases Knox’s vocal range. Moving quickly to the lead single, “Pick Your Poison” comes up next. Detailing a playful interaction with a girl at a party, the song is punchy and culminates in an energetic bridge.
“She’s Not Okay” is an exploration of how two people could be together despite them still needing to work on themselves. It’s anthemic in the way the lines “I’ll love her anyway” are repeated in each chorus reprise. “50/50,” on the other hand, seems to be about a different relationship entirely, if following the narrative of the album so far, and may reference the earlier “Going, Going, Gone” before the girl walked away from the relationship. The third single released, it deals with relationship expectations and the consequences of them not being met.
“Happy Ever After All” is titled with classic wordplay, and funnily enough is the most cynical but necessary track yet. The hook is the chorus, with this song’s structure straying from the previous six tracks. “Voicemail” is Knox’s take on “tis the damn season,” but with a twist. Going back to your hometown, linking up with a girl, and the story that follows makes this song the first of two narrative songs off the album. Produced by Andrew Goldstein, who also produced some of my favorite 5 Seconds of Summer songs “Ghost of You” and “Want You Back,” it’s clear to me why “Voicemail” is one of my personal favorites.
Surprise-released on April Fool’s Day was the fourth and final single, “The DJ.” Easy and relaxed electric guitar strums give this song a great dance feel. Recognizing that he was getting played by the girl who knew everyone, he seemed to be along for the ride. Similar to “Love Letter”, this track includes a clever play on words. “D.N.A.” details the repercussions and aftermath of a relationship. This song dips from vocal-forward to instruments layered and a vocal backing to emphasize the message, “Do not ask.” It builds as the bridge has some of my favorite lyrics on the album: “You’re all I had to lose.”
It flows into “All American Tragedy,” a title and sonic inspiration immediately reminiscent of The All American Rejects. This second narrative song revolves around two people and is arguably the most pop-punk sounding track so far. However, “Oxygen Thief” takes a hard left turn into another ballad with an acoustic beginning. It’s vulnerable and features more plays on words: “You steal every breath when you walk in the room,” reiterating that nothing else matters when they’re together. Another pop-punk-leaning song is “Head First (feat. Bilmuri),” written by Johnny Franck, Matt Hastings, and Will Carlson. The highlight of this song is the back-and-forth bridge, bringing some much-needed energy at the home stretch of the record.
The most introspective song on the album is easily “Win Some, Lose Somebody.” Only the second song to begin with an acoustic guitar, it’s chock full of references and reflection. The song features the line “Hey kid, you’re gonna go far / You’re gonna hit big but break a couple hearts,” morphing into “Hey kid, you’re gonna go far / You’re gonna hit big but leave a couple scars.” Certainly a reference to The Offspring’s “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” it’s a nice button towards the end of the album. Pop punk has historically leaned into themes that are often more surface-level and don’t tend to tug on your heartstrings — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And while much of the album keeps things lyrically engaging, it doesn’t dive too deep thematically until this point.
And while we know it’s “Not The 1975,” the song is surely iconic and a certified classic. In a previous interview with Melodic Magazine, Knox elaborated:
“I came up with that, just that one line ten months ago. And I knew from before the song was written, before I even knew how it sounded, I was like, ‘This is so sick, whatever this is going to turn into is going to be so sick.’”
Knox’s highly anticipated debut album is a glimpse into the early pop-rock nostalgia of the past. The debut is impressive in length and lyrical volume, and it’s a step up in production and a step forward sonically for the boy next door. Punchy and witty poetry never disappoint, and I’m excited to see these new tracks come to life on stage. The nature of the songs on Going, Going, Gone is tailor-made for being chanted in a room full of fans who know every word. With only a few days left until the Going, Going, Gone Tour kicks off, there won’t be any shortage of words or energy anytime soon.
Tickets to Knox’s upcoming Going Going Gone Tour 2025 are on sale now, and his debut album Going Going Gone is out now.
GOING GOING GONE 2025 TOUR DATES:
April 12 – Washington D.C. – 9:30 Club
April 13 – Boston, MA – Royale
April 15 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 16 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
April 18 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
April 19 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues – Chicago
April 20 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
April 22 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
April 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
April 26 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall
April 28 – Los Angeles, CA – El Ray Theatre
April 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
May 2 – Dallas, TX – The Studio at the Factory
May 3 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room & Garage
May 6 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
May 8 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
May 9 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
May 10 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Hall – The Mainstage
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