Jawdropped Secret To Spare
Released Sep 18, 2026 Transgressive Records
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Oct 2, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Jawdropped's Secret To Spare channels sun-drenched melancholy into an exuberant power-pop revival that critics say both honors and refreshes 90s guitar-pop.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
The Line
2 critic mentions
“From the moment you hear vocalist Kyra Morling count the band into that bright burst of guitars on ‘ The Line ’ , you feel like you are in the front row” — Hive Magazine
Monday
2 critic mentions
“it’s astounding that they can produce a rock song as stellar as ‘ Monday ’ , the second song on the album” — Hive Magazine
High Beams
2 critic mentions
“You can practically hear the concert crowds jumping along to jubilant yet scrappy tracks like ‘ High Beams” — Hive Magazine
Full critic consensus
Jawdropped's Secret To Spare channels sun-drenched melancholy into an exuberant power-pop revival that critics say both honors and refreshes 90s guitar-pop. Across three professional reviews the record earned an 83.33/100 consensus score, with reviewers praising the band's mates-in-a-room camaraderie and live-recording immediacy while flagging a deliberate, unpretentious focus on hooks over reinvention.
Reviewers consistently point to standout tracks as evidence of the album's strengths: “The Line” opens with Lemonheads-tinged brightness, “Monday” delivers urgent pop-punk momentum, and “High Beams” stomps with the big choruses that define the collection. Critics also highlight quieter moments like “Cellulite” and “Pitch Black” for their interpersonal honesty, and closing cut “Two” for its tasteful acoustic coda. Across the three professional reviews, critics praised the record's working-class small victories, DIY production, and live energy as shaping a cohesive identity more about feeling than novelty.
While some reviewers note that the band wears its influences plainly, the critical consensus suggests Secret To Spare is worth listening to for anyone searching for the best songs on Secret To Spare or wondering what critics say about the record. In short, the debut balances nostalgia with genuine feeling, making it a memorable addition to the Los Angeles music scene and a promising introduction to Jawdropped's catalog.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
The Line
Monday
Split Lip
Cellulite
High Beams
Cup
Smoglight
Pitch Black
Whiplash
Two
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Hi
Critic's Take
Jawdropped’s debut Secret To Spare feels like an instant classic, the kind of record that marries urgent power-pop with a warm nostalgia. From the opening burst of guitars on “The Line” to the acoustic-and-electric chemistry of “Monday”, the band capture live, DIY energy that makes these the best tracks on Secret To Spare. There is a moody side too, heard on “Pitch Black” and the melancholy of “Cellulite”, which deepens the album rather than dulling its brightness. Closing with the tasteful acoustic “Two” seals the record as both immediate and memorable, the sort of set you want to experience live.
Key Points
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The best song moments (notably “The Line” and “Monday”) sell the album’s live, urgent power-pop and immediate nostalgia.
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The album’s core strength is capturing DIY live energy while balancing sunny melodies with underlying melancholy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jawdropped sound like a mates-in-a-room guitar band on Secret To Spare, and that’s the point, a joyous, unpretentious celebration of noisy hooks and big choruses. The review delights in the way “Split Lip” rattles along, catching that tiny disaster becoming monumental, and notes “Cellulite” for its more vulnerable turn before “High Beams” stomps the gas again. The critic’s voice is warm and wry, insisting that ten good guitar songs - including “Split Lip”, “Cellulite” and “High Beams” - make for a really nice time rather than a revolution. This framing answers searches for best songs on Secret To Spare by foregrounding those three tracks as the album’s clearest highlights.
Key Points
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The best song is "Split Lip" because its lyric and momentum crystallize the album’s charm.
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The album’s core strength is sounding like four people playing songs live, with crunchy 90s guitar-pop hooks and immediate choruses.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jawdropped wear their influences proudly on Secret To Spare, and the reviewer's affection for the record is clearest in its best tracks. The opener “The Line” announces that Lemonheads-tinged brightness, while “Monday” hits as urgent, pop-punk immediacy and feels like one of the best songs on Secret To Spare. More tender moments like “Cellulite” and the midtempo anthem “Whiplash” show why the best tracks on Secret To Spare balance nostalgia with genuine feeling, making the album more sincere than merely referential.
Key Points
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The Line best encapsulates the album’s Lemonheads-tinged power-pop energy and sets its upbeat tone.
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Secret To Spare excels at blending ’90s revivalist influences with sincere, observational songwriting rooted in Los Angeles life.