Chicago trio Watermelon describe themselves as super sour punk, and honestly, I have trouble deciding whether that is accurate. Their 2023 self-titled LP on Dirt Cult Records had a scrappy ramonescore edge, but their new album No Laughing, No Crying (out now on What’s For Breakfast Records) takes things up a notch — louder, leaner, and more rock ’n’ roll. Think the tough swagger of Neighborhood Brats or a sugar-rushed Joan Jett, all wired on bad coffee and good riffs.

Watermelon play fast and tight, but their songs never feel forced. There’s an effortless joy in how they bash through melodies — like they’re proving that punk can be both precision-cut and gloriously unpolished. The 80-second Underdog is the one that sealed the deal for me: a bullet of a song with a chorus that hits straight out of the Ramones playbook.

By the time the album wraps, it’s easy to see why they’ve been lumped in with the ramonescore crowd — those intros definitely nudge you that way. But more often than not, Watermelon veer off course just enough to keep things interesting. No Laughing, No Crying is sharp, fast, and bursting with personality. It’s punk rock that keeps moving, mutating, and most of all, having fun.

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