“We’re pretty ridiculous people,” laughs SUPER AMERICAN co-vocalist and multiinstrumentalist Pat Feeley, whose band in many ways feels like the equivalent of their hometown Buffalo Bills’ tailgate scene: gleefully rowdy and best enjoyed with a beer in hand (with the non-zero chance someone might end up leaping through a flaming table when all is said and done).

Since forming in Western New York in 2016, Feeley and his musical partner Matt Cox have blurred the line between absurdism and existentialism, swirling ‘90s melodicism, new-millennium pop-punk energy, and heartfelt emo into a wry, smirking rock sound. Now, on their third album, GANGSTER OF LOVE (Wax Bodega), the duo let their melting pot sonic palette go further than ever, exploring the outer edges of their musical spectrums.

Produced by Sam Guaiana (Neck Deep, Bayside), Gangster of Love follows 2021’s SUP and 2018’s Tequila Sunrise and found the duo fleeing Buffalo for Los Angeles, where the push and pull between the two songwriters – the real magic at the heart of Super American – was allowed to flourish and grow in a brand-new environment.

“There were a lot of fresh sensory things going on: new sounds, smells, people,” Feeley explains. “We recorded acoustic guitars outside and picked up birds and planes flying overhead. We definitely made something we couldn’t have made here at home left to our own devices.”

“We wanted to feel like you were stepping into this little world, and working with Sam helped us accomplish that,” adds Cox. “Especially working at home, sometimes you get a little sidetracked, but Sam kept us focused and made it really easy and fun to be creative.”

And that creativity abounds on Gangster of Love: First single “Hopefully Pitchfork Doesn’t Hear This” rides palm-muted guitar chunks into a soaring, anxiety-fueled chorus, while “Manager Haircut” riffs like a lost American Pie soundtrack cut before swerving into an electro-pop refrain. Elsewhere, the synth bass and hip-hop groove of “Okay. Eat Me Alive” and “Drowning” offer an exhale for Cox and Feeley’s anxiety-rich lyricism to take center stage, showcasing a depth to Super American that might get lost among their more lighthearted moments.

“SUP was basically a record filled with anxiety as a survival mechanism,” Feely explains. “This time around, it was less of a victim mindset. Thematically, I feel like it’s more about yearnings and desires and what you want for yourself.”

Those universal themes – from ruminations on mortality (“Ugly Cryin’ With My Dog”) to the romantic and emotional detachment (“Altima Song” and “Manager Haircut”) and THC-fueled escapism (the sugar bomb “Mental Karate”), all served up with a side of self-deprecation – have endeared listeners on tours with the likes of Hot Mulligan, Taking Back Sunday, and Neck Deep, They’re poised to go even wider now, bring Super American’s brand of slacker rock to brand-new audiences

“We’ve always approached the band from a very innocent, youthful place despite not actually forming as kids,” Cox says. “I think that’s been a little bit of how we’ve lasted so long, by not really being beholden to hindsight. It keeps us moving forward and able to find new listeners.”

Adds Feeley: “Whatever audience gets it and enjoys it, god fucking bless their souls because they must be sick.” XX