October 16, 2026
Ray Hawthorne confronts his past on third album “Ray Hawthorne Can’t Be Trusted”
Ray Hawthorne turns the spotlight on himself with his third album. The new record is called “Ray Hawthorne Can’t Be Trusted”, and the title alone makes clear that self-doubt, old habits and his own unreliability are at its heart.
Release details
Artist: Ray Hawthorne
Album title: “Ray Hawthorne Can’t Be Trusted”
Format: Album (third studio album, 13 songs)
Release date: October 16, 2026 (source: Out of Rage)
Label: Not officially announced
Links: Spotify, YouTube
Ray Hawthorne is on our priority list and has made a name for himself as a solo artist in the pop-punk scene in recent years. Out of Rage’s review describes the new album as a classic pop-punk record with a rough-edged voice and screams that sometimes stray into metal and post-hardcore territory. There’s even a sadcore song and a piano interlude along the way; the magazine awards the album 9 out of 10 overall (source: Out of Rage).
Advance single “When It Rains” was written about Hawthorne’s conflicted relationship with his hometown in New Jersey, according to Melodic Magazine — a push and pull that many people associate with their own youth (source: Melodic Magazine). The tracklist also features Pouyan Afkary on “Habits” and artist Pete Zen on “Burn New Jersey Down” (source: Out of Rage).
We’ll keep you posted on POP PUNK 101 as soon as there’s more pop-punk news. Stay tuned!