REVIEW: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - X's For Eyes (Deluxe Reissue)
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- Mar 1
- 3 min read
Florida pop-punk veterans THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS impressed us last year with their release of X’s For Eyes - not just a return to form for the band, embracing plenty of old school pop-punk vibes, but an evolution of their sound that feels like something we’ve been waiting for since we first heard Face Down on the radio in 2006. Now they've reissued the album as deluxe reissue. Overall the album has some truly incredible pieces, it gives us the impression that the band knows exactly what their audiences are looking for. Their sound has grown up with them over the past twenty three years but they certainly haven't forgotten where they came from or how to make some real, true pop punk.
Perfection is a standout for us, placed early in the album; it's one of the first few tracks you’ll hear on a listen, and one of the first singles released in the album's marketing cycle. This is absolutely a strong choice. Discussing themes of individuality, self acceptance and the titular “perfection” this song sounds like it could have been ripped straight from 2006's Don't You Fake It and tweaked with a new producer to create a modern yet classic sounding pop punk anthem. Speaking of anthems - the titular track X’s For Eyes will start showing up on lists as one of the all time top pop-punk anthems. In the same vein as My Heroine by SILVERSTEIN and Savior by RISE AGAINST, X’s For Eyes blends slower melodic sections with harsh, high tempo choruses driven by some incredible drum work.
The primary difference between this deluxe release and the original album release in October 2025 is three additional tracks, the first single of which is Angels Cry. If you want melodic, heartfelt and emotional pop punk - this is where you need to be. As we said earlier, “A return to form for the band” is precisely what this song is. Incredibly reminiscent of 2006’s Your Guardian Angel the track opens with a beautiful piano and strings ensemble with lyrics that clearly come from a dark place in frontman RONNIE WINTER’s heart. The other new tracks on offer are alternate versions of Perfection, Slipping Through (No Kings) and another all new track Not Today.
Now it can be said that alternate versions of existing songs are sometimes hit or miss, which we can say in this instance is definitely the case. Perfection ft. DEREK SANDERS of MAYDAY PARADE fame is what a reimagining should be - a new flavour to choose from that adds to the original without changing it beyond recognition. DEREK's vocals suit the track to a tee and you wouldn't be amiss to listen to this version and think this is how it was originally written (who are we to even say it wasn't written with DEREK in mind?). Slipping Through (No Kings) however is one of the weaker tracks of the original release, with a reimagined version not really adding a huge amount. Don't get the wrong idea, the bar for this album is already incredibly high, potentially being the band's best release to date, but that doesn't mean that they’re infallible, and such high praise means that weaker offerings from the album highlight themselves more obviously.
Overall the album certainly is one of the band's best releases, arguably their best, and you can tell the last twenty odd years of experience have all come through to produce it, with plenty of inspiration from other bands. THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS have been accused of sounding a little too much like SILVERSTEIN in the past, and while that still remains true it's hardly a bad thing, there's plenty of influence here with enough of their own flare to make it unique and well worth a listen. If you enjoy pop punk, especially pop-punk that harkens back to the mid noughties then THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS have you covered, and not only are some of these songs going straight into my daily playlist but some will remain there for years to come.
Score: 8/10
X's For Eyes (Deluxe Reissue) will be released on 6th March 2026 via Better Noise Music.
Words: Chris Brown
Photos: K Enagonio
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