Sickpay

“Sickpay’s broad love of the genre (punk rock) is on full display on his recently released EP Pureocracy. In only 5 songs, Birnbaum takes us on a punk rock journey that shows a diverse love for the genre at large with hints of cow-punk, modern pop-punk, classic alternative, new wave, and more. It’s early in the year yet, but so far this album and the new release from Denzel Curry are neck and neck for best release of 2022.”

--The Farsighted

"...The hooks here are huge, and the songs are like arena anthems from an alternate dimension. One of the many projects conceived during the pandemic, this music is not content to wallow in its origins and defiantly escapes from apocalyptic doomsaying."

--The Big Takeover

"Like Paul Westerberg, Birnbaum has an understated, deceptive knack for pop, and if one were to remove all of the lo-fi and sludge, any of these songs could be hits. Yet Pureocracy thrives and succeeds because of its production, and although modest, it’s a definite contender for one of the year’s strongest debuts."
--- The Big Takeover

“The best part of Devoid (from Pureocracy) is during the verses, when Sickpay hits you with some sort of guitar that doesn’t necessarily sound so much electric as it does full of effects so that it pirouettes, twirls, and sparkles along like a diadem twisting in the sun’s gaze. The singing is certainly unique on this one, although the instrumentation is the real treat.”
-- Breaking & Entering