Jawdropped Secret To Spare
Released Sep 18, 2026 Transgressive Records
Consensus forming 4 professional reviews Updated Oct 3, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Consensus is still forming across 4 professional reviews. Jawdropped's Secret To Spare channels sun-drenched 90s guitar-pop into a debut that feels both lived-in and freshly minted.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Monday
3 critic mentions
“it’s astounding that they can produce a rock song as stellar as ‘ Monday ’ , the second song on the album” — Hive Magazine
The Line
3 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
Whiplash
3 critic mentions
“More effective is the midtempo anthem “Whiplash,” where gentle ups-and-downs become nauseatingly consequential without warning” — Pitchfork
Full critic consensus
Jawdropped's Secret To Spare channels sun-drenched 90s guitar-pop into a debut that feels both lived-in and freshly minted. Critics agree the record strikes a winning balance of big choruses, live energy and songwriting craft, earning a warm critical reception that leans toward praise rather than pastiche. With a consensus score of 82.5 across 4 professional reviews, the critical consensus suggests Secret To Spare is worth hearing for its immediacy and emotional honesty.
Reviewers consistently point to a handful of standout tracks as proof of the album's strengths. “Split Lip” emerges repeatedly as a highlight for its jangly momentum and hooky duet format, while “Monday” is praised for urgent drums and pop-punk immediacy. Critics also cite “The Line” for its opener’s brightness, and note moodier turns like “Pitch Black” and “Cellulite” that add depth to the power-pop revival. Across reviews, praise centers on band camaraderie, DIY production values and a live-recording feel that amplifies grit and sunlit melancholy.
Not every critic is entirely without reservation - several point out that heavier, more riff-driven sequences such as the triptych including “High Beams” and “Smoglight” occasionally feel less essential - yet the prevailing view is that Jawdropped's debut offers memorable hooks and craftful songwriting. For readers searching for a concise verdict or the best songs on Secret To Spare, the consensus highlights “Split Lip”, “Monday” and “The Line” as the album's clearest standouts, and frames the record as a compelling introduction to a band revitalizing power-pop with honest, working-class warmth.
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 4 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’s Secret To Spare wears its influences proudly yet writes past mere pastiche, which is why the best songs on Secret To Spare land so memorably. The reviewer singles out “Monday” as an early standout with pulverising drums and crunching guitars, and praises “Split Lip” as a jangly duet that most closely recalls other inventive revivalists. Tracks like “Pitch Black” and “Whiplash” show the band’s measured songwriting, while the heavier triptych of “High Beams”, “Cup” and “Smoglight” leans into power-pop grit but feels less essential. Overall the voice here is of a critic surprised at how a debut can both summon and transcend its heroes.
Key Points
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The best song is "Monday" for its pulverising drums and Dinosaur Jr.-like crunch, making it the album's early standout.
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The album’s core strength is writing that channels ’90s influences while asserting Jawdropped’s own melodic and stylistic identity.
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.