Sometimes certain projects take way longer than expected. This could be due to the curveballs and obstacles life can throw on a regular basis, or for a lot of folks over the past few years, it could be because of the unexpected problems that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providence punk rockers The Callouts encountered the latter along with a few other things while making their sophomore full-length release, but it’s finally out. It’s called “Victory Lap,” it was unveiled back on New Year’s Day, and it begins 2025 with an amplified bang for the quintet of vocalist Missa Hills, guitarists Michael Grillo and Drew Safs, bassist David Delmonico and drummer Dan Ulmschneider. There’s a lot of energy within the album and it’s abundant for the senses right from the first note.

After a thorough songwriting process that took a few years, the band went down to No Boundaries Studios in North Kingstown to work with producer Chris Piquette. The result is a flowing array of tracks that captures a raw emphasis and an harmonious approach.

“This album was years in the making and had quite a few obstacles to overcome to get it done,” Safs says about the making of “Victory Lap.” “2019 was a good year for The Callouts and we were looking forward to 2020, how naïve of us. If we stuck to our previous cycle, who knows what our third album might have looked like and when it would have come out. Instead, we took our time, and really doubled down on the songs. We probably started with two dozen ideas, but if something didn’t feel right, we either put it on the back burner, or got rid of it completely.”

“Actually, the last song on the album ‘Glomming On’ was originally a full band song, but during rehearsal it just wasn’t coming together,” he adds. “Enter the studio where there was this amazing acoustic guitar on the rack. After a little reworking, now we have our first, and probably only acoustic song. The songwriting for this batch of tunes wasn’t different from anything else we’ve done, but going into the studio there was a feeling of uncertainty since it had been so long since we recorded new music. Thankfully Chris [Piquette] was exactly who we needed to flesh them out and get them in the best shape they could be, he took each song and gave it a vibe while keeping it cohesive.”

With there being a little bit more variety than The Callouts’ previous material, that cohesivity is evident in songs like “Policy Unknown,” “Matchstick” and “Carolina.” “Glomming On” is an excellent finale while standing out from the rest of the songs through its acoustic foundation and dual lead vocals from both Safs and Hills.

“We have a pretty good mix of songs on the album and feel there’s ‘something for everyone’,” Safs mentions. “All in all, it just felt good to record again and show ourselves what we can accomplish musically. We are really looking forward to playing shows and sharing these new songs in 2025.”

To give “Victory Lap” a listen, simply log onto The Callouts’ Bandcamp page at thecallouts.bandcamp.com and give it a stream. There, you can also download it for a very affordable price to include in your digital music library. When it comes to local music, this record has the ability to electrify the start of what will potentially be a crazy year.