Pup Credit: Vanessa Heins

On their self-titled 2013 debut, Toronto-based four-piece band Pup were all about crafting poppy hooks from high-octane punk brashness. The album’s massive choruses scream, the guitars roar, and the beats stampede. It’s been six years, and as far as punk rock goes, the boys in Pup have grown up. On the brand-new Morbid Stuff (a joint release between Rise Records and their own new label, Little Dipper), Pup balance the fury of their past with deliberate rhythms, massive dual-guitar leads, and nonstop epic hooks and vocal harmonies. They haven’t gone soft by any means—they can still rage when they want to, especially at their famous live performances—but there’s clearly more thought behind (and more breathing room in) their latest material.   v