(November 15, 2012) — One would expect that with a title like “Punk Goes Pop,” the long-awaited addition to the Punk Goes… series would fuse the dissimilar genres of punk rock and pop rock. However, the cover songs in Punk Goes Pop, Volume 5 , go beyond the typical “punk band covering a popular song.” The genre of pop-punk has a very interesting polymerization of punk rock and pop rock. The two genres are extremely different in style, with the punk rock genre being well-known for its rebellious content and “punky” beats while the pop rock genre is seen as a catchy pop style, a less authentic version of rock. The Punk Goes… series are several compilation albums produced by Fearless Records, an alternative rock-oriented record label that has signed several famous bands like Pierce the Veil, blessthefall and Breathe Carolina. The first Punk Goes Pop album was released in 2002, with relatively unknown bands like Dynamite Boy and Further Seems Forever covering songs like “Bye Bye Bye” and “I Want It That Way,” songs seen as all the rage at the time. Punk Goes Pop 5 is no different in that respect. Famous metalcore and alternative rock bands such as Crown the Empire, Upon This Dawning and We Came As Romans perform their own versions of famous songs such as Maroon 5’s “Payphone,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and The Wanted’s “Glad You Came.” One of the most prominent covers on the album features arguably one of the most famous songs from 2012, Gotye’s “Somebody I Used To Know” featuring Kimbra. The original song is classified as indie pop, utilizing Brazilian jazz samples with additional samples of xylophone and beats. On Punk Goes Pop 5 , however, the American rock band Mayday Parade features guest vocals from Pierce the Veil lead singer Vic Fuentes to convey the feelings of loneliness and melancholy with different medium of instruments and style. The lyrics and musical scales stay the exact same, true to the original song, but still sounds like an original composition that could have been written by anybody. Overall, Punk Goes Pop, Volume 5 showcases some of the best songs of 2012 in a way that would allow people of different musical tastes to appreciate the true genius and meaning behind each song, no matter who the artist is. If you like a bit of alternative rock, hardcore breakdowns, cleanly sung lyrics and heavy metal riffs in combination with the most popular songs of the year, Punk Goes Pop, Volume 5 is sure to impress.