Neck Deep’s All Distortions Are Intentional turns another year older, and honestly? It still feels like one of the most divisive—and misunderstood—moves the band ever made. Dropping on July 24, 2020, this wasn’t just another pop punk record. It was a concept album, something way more ambitious than the fast-paced angst fans were used to. But that’s what made it exciting.
This era was Neck Deep shifting gears, stepping out of the usual “sad but loud” formula and building a whole new world—literally. The record follows a character called Jett, lost in a place called Sonderland, as he spirals through love, loss, and existential dread. Yeah, sounds like a Tumblr poem, but trust us, it works.
The band doubled down on the dreamy, alternative vibe here—think bigger choruses, fuzzier guitars, and lyrics that leaned way more into introspection than scene kid shoutalongs. Tracks like “Lowlife” and “Fall” still hit hard, but in a totally different way. It’s more cinematic, like pop punk grew up, discovered shoegaze, and had a midlife crisis in space.
Some fans didn’t totally get it at the time. They missed the raw punch of Life’s Not Out to Get You or the cheeky bite of The Peace and The Panic. But give this one a spin now, with some distance—it’s kinda genius. The storytelling, the textures, even the vocal delivery feels like Neck Deep were experimenting with their identity in real time.
And that’s what makes All Distortions Are Intentional so cool. It’s a time capsule of a band willing to take risks, willing to lose a few listeners to make something more meaningful. If you were there in 2020—spinning it on repeat during lockdown, journaling lyrics, feeling weird and isolated—you know how much this one hit home.
So here’s to All Distortions Are Intentional. The misunderstood middle child of Neck Deep’s discography that lowkey might be their most interesting.
