Emo’s been in a bit of a heyday period, has it not? From the mainstream to the niche, we’re seeing many a fan of music rebuke the pejorative that “It’s just a phase,” and continue to riffle through the emo sections of the crates at their local record shop in order to search for both new and old releases in the genre that speak to them. With this interest in emo seemingly unceasing from my perspective, it seems only right as to make an article showcasing some gems that I think deserve a spotlight shone upon them, as one does with the best of any medium. We’ll be taking a look at nine releases, and hopefully at least one will catch your interest. If at least that happens, then this article was a success in my eyes.
Fancy Cookies – oh my god elephant
This record is a great example of the Midwest Emo niche, which distinguishes itself from more traditional emo offerings with its emphasis on complex and original rhythms, melded with off-kilter time signatures. While one would expect this to result in a loud cacophany of noise, the soothing and melodic guitars make it moreso akin to an oasis of respite. The somber nature is allowed room to breathe, as one can digest it with the calm accoutrements. This record does a fantastic job of easing the listener in, and allowing them to savor the musical offerings. I do have one qualm with the overall structure of the record, being that it’s a bit front-loaded. Standout tracks like Welcome to the Neighborhood and I Only Have Four Quarters for You are good draws, sure, but the latter half lacks songs as strong as these, leaving me a bit wanting. I still think this project as a whole is absolutely worth a listen, in spite of this complaint.
I Don’t Want to Look at the Stars – Kara’s Walk Home
This record is another riveting experience, and in my opinion a good litmus test for if you’ll like the contemporary offerings the Midwest Emo scene provides. These lyrics are somewhat sophomoric, almost mundane in their straightforwardness, with delivery that hinges on acerbic due to the rough vocals. However, in my opinion, these are not necessarily detrimental. A lot of modern Midwest Emo takes cues from the indie scene, with its intimate and do-it-yourself ethos, and when combined with the intricacies of Midwest Emo’s instrumentation, it makes for riveting music. This album features a lot of songs with longer runtimes, with the longest being 12 minutes and 29 seconds, but that’s not to say that nothing is done with that time. The songs are allowed to develop, crescendo, return to placidity and back again. I’d reccomend the track Weekend! Party With Your Friends!!!, the aforementioned 12 minute 29 second track, for those interested in exploring if this is for them, as I think it’s the standout here. Regardless, I think that you’ll enjoy this release if you go into it with an open mind.
Start Here – The Gloria Record
This one’s a real sleeper of a record. A side-project created by two members of the cult emo band Mineral after their breakup, I just love how this record takes the influences and slow, methodical pace of Mineral and adds some very interesting electronic elements, almost inducing the indietronica label onto the release. It uses transitions to great effect, with the smooth blending of the introductory title track into the followup Good Morning, Providence almost forcing high-school me to really like this band off that minutia alone. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t other great tracks on this release, like I Was Born In Omaha and Salvation Army totally being worth checking out. I love how this record relishes in a dour misery, and I think anyone else with that penchant for similar musical inclinations will love this.
Sultans of Sentiment – The Van Pelt
Sultans of Sentiment is a very good emo record, but it’s, in all honesty, quite difficult to reccomend. There’s a very unique element to it where it utilizes spoken-word elements for lyricism, and the total lack of energy might be somewhat offputting to many. People tend to imagine emo as a very cathartic genre, with frequent explosive sequences that shed off excess emotion. This record instead asks the listener to wallow in the feelings that they have, to sit with them, and that is quite a bold take for the genre. If you want to try out this record, which I do deeply endorse, songs like Yamato (Where People Really Die) and We Are the Heathens are great places to start. It’s an odd case, to be sure, but I definitely think it’s one that’s worth interrogating nevertheless.