Pool Kids Easier Said Than Done
Released Aug 15, 2025 Epitaph
Established consensus 7 professional reviews Updated Aug 27, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Pool Kids's Easier Said Than Done arrives as a clear-eyed, autumn-tinged collection that refines the band's emo-revival instincts into hook-driven, emotionally vivid songs.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Easier Said Than Done
2 critic mentions
“Her vocals have never sounded better, too, as she sells every line of this record with conviction and vulnerability on the title track.” — PopMatters
Tinted Windows
2 critic mentions
“Tinted Windows” has a riff that recalls the first Sunny Day Real Estate record and features the vivid, heartbreaking line referenced earlier.” — PopMatters
Not Too Late
1 critic mention
“Not Too Late’ is another standout: a punchy, boppy mid-album sugar hit” — Dork
Full critic consensus
Pool Kids's Easier Said Than Done arrives as a clear-eyed, autumn-tinged collection that refines the band's emo-revival instincts into hook-driven, emotionally vivid songs. Critics praise the title track “Easier Said Than Done” for its climactic anxiety and electronically-treated vocals, while “Tinted Windows” and “Leona Street” recur as standout moments that balance vulnerability with melodic immediacy.
Across seven professional reviews the record earned a 78/100 consensus score, and reviewers consistently note a sonic evolution: a softened sound that trades some of the group's earlier math-rock skittishness for clearer production, warmer textures, and more mature songwriting. PopMatters and Kerrang! highlight Andy Anaya's sticky hooks and Christine Goodwynne's heartrending delivery, Dork emphasizes the band's willingness to let quieter, more intimate passages breathe, and multiple critics point to themes of breakup, anxiety, and fall melancholy threaded through the lyrics.
The consensus suggests a band betting on themselves—retaining rawness while showing production growth and DIY resourcefulness. While some reviews register surprise at the stylistic shift, most applaud the record's memorable choruses and emotional directness, making questions like "is Easier Said Than Done good" and "what are the best songs on Easier Said Than Done" easy to answer: the title track, “Tinted Windows” and “Leona Street” emerge as the album's most remarked-upon high points. Below, the full reviews unpack how this collection sits within Pool Kids' evolution and why many critics regard it as a confident, bittersweet next step.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Easier Said Than Done
Tinted Windows
Bad Bruise
Leona Street
Last Word
Sorry Not Sorry
Not Too Late
Which Is Worse?
Dani
Perfect View
Exit Plan
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Pool Kids make a convincing case that Easier Said Than Done contains the best songs for autumn: the title track lands as a raw, vulnerable opener while “Tinted Windows” and “Dani” show the record's range. The reviewer’s ear catches Andy Anaya’s sticky hooks and Christine Goodwynne’s heartrending delivery, so the best tracks on Easier Said Than Done feel both intimate and widescreen. There is growth here without losing the band’s signature rawness, which is why listeners hunting for the best tracks on this album will keep coming back to these moments. Overall, it sounds like a fall classic, built from delicate verses that explode into unforgettable choruses.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its vocal conviction and emotional clarity.
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The album’s core strengths are matured songwriting, widescreen production, and sticky hooks that keep songs on repeat.
Themes
Critic's Take
On Easier Said Than Done, Pool Kids sharpen their songwriting while letting a softer side breathe, making tracks like “Tinted Windows” and “Not Too Late” feel both playful and poignant. The reviewer's voice applauds the band for leaning into vulnerability without losing bite, praising the immediacy of “Leona Street” and the sunset glow of “Perfect View”. It reads like a band moving in rather than arriving, trading frantic noise for clarity and hooks that stick in the chest. That combination makes queries about the best songs on Easier Said Than Done point naturally to these bright, immediate moments.
Key Points
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‘Tinted Windows’ is best for its shimmering vulnerability and diary-like lyric that the reviewer highlights.
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The album’s core strengths are sharper songwriting, hook-laden immediacy, and a softened, vulnerable tone without losing grit.
Themes
Ke
Critic's Take
Pool Kids sound like a band staking everything on instinct and invention on Easier Said Than Done, and the review points to the title track and its climactic anxiety as proof of payoff. The reviewer praises how the electronically-treated vocals and hazy guitars on “Easier Said Than Done” depart from past math-rock skittishness yet keep the same well of confusion and self-doubt. That collision of guitar stabs, simmering beats and Christine Goodwyne’s soothing, catchy melodies makes “Easier Said Than Done” one of the best tracks on Easier Said Than Done. Overall the tone is admiring and often surprised, highlighting bold choices made on a shoestring recording migration.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its bold sonic departure, climactic anxiety spiral and catchy vocal melodies.
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The album’s strengths are inventive production, emotional honesty and achieving a bigger sound on a shoestring.
Themes
