Bad Cop Bad Cop return with Lighten Up, an album that thrives on honesty, heart, and survival. From the rush of punk energy to moments of surprising vulnerability, the record captures a band unafraid to confront struggle while celebrating the beauty found in perseverance.

The San Pedro quartet made up of Stacey Dee, Linh Le, Myra Gallarza, and new guitarist Alex Windsor channel their own battles and victories into songs that hit hard but resonate with hope. Linh Le faces down doubt in “Strugglinh” and turns family loss into triumph on “See Me Now.” Dee pulls from her own recovery on “Straight Out of Detox” and teams with LA underground legend 2mex for the reflective “Note to Self.” The years-in-the-making “Dead Friends” closes with Dee urging, “So try to love your life, while you can,” a reminder of why these songs matter.

Lighten Up’s creation was rooted in camaraderie. Writing sessions started over Sunday brunches, with Dee hosting bandmates around food, drinks, and music. That family spirit carried into the studio at Long Beach’s Compound, where producer Antoine Arvizu and Dee’s partner Migs encouraged the band to stretch in new directions. Bad Cop Bad Cop pushed their melodic punk into fresh territory, from the jazz swing of “Las Ventanas” to a reimagining of Joe Strummer’s “Johnny Appleseed.”

Vocals took center stage, with longtime collaborator John E. Carey Jr. guiding the band through ten grueling 12-hour days. Gallarza added third harmonies for the first time, underscoring how much the group continues to evolve. Windsor’s arrival also gave the music new firepower, her sharp guitar work driving songs like the explosive “I4NI” while her theory background strengthened the writing. “Alex’s guitar playing is just so fantastic and has really elevated our songwriting,” Dee says.

For a band that has always been unapologetically strong, Lighten Up shows how strength is built. It is personal, fearless, and made with joy. “This was the first time we didn’t give a fuck about what anyone else was doing or wanted us to do,” Dee explains. “Lighten Up was for us. We had a complete and total ball making it and we love it so much.”