Unlike many fellow bloggers, I’m 18. I’m still in High School, and when Emo rock was blowing up with Sunny Day Real Estate and Saves the Day, I was probably still shitting myself. However, there’s no denying that that music eventually would have influence on music I did connect with. I’m sure all those awful pop-punk bands that I was obsessed with in High School had some roots in the angst-driven Midwest Emo of the late 90s and early 00s. Plus, I’ve had the decency to go back and listen to those earlier bands and appreciate what they did. So, I can at least vicariously feel some nostalgia in this sudden Emo Revival. Topshelf Records, the frontrunner in this revival, have given us another album defined by this revival, and it’s most “revivalist” album in this movement yet.

You Blew It!, Orlando’s major player in this revival, come across as being a cleaner Cap’n Jazz…or a cleaner version of any 90s emo band on Keep Doing What You’re Doing. The vocals only veer into screechy territory during power choruses and the guitars and drums never get messy or tangled. While a “clean and cut” sounds pretty bland (The label claimed that this record has the band “dialing back on their more raw influences…”, it’s amazing just how engaging and enjoyable Keep Doing What You’re Doing Is.

In fact, this album probably harkens back more to the cleaner early 00s Emo Punk-Pop, with relatively simple song structures (Many of the songs try to go for the classic verse-chorus formula) and smoother vocals. However, You Blew It! manage to take this somewhat sterile approach and make something transcendentally fresh with it.

The lead vocals here are probably one of the best elements Keep Doing What You’re Doing has going for it. On songs like Award of the Year Award, the raw and inspired singing that verges on yelling amps up the energy and really resonates in a way similar to the bands that inspired them. Even though they’re most noticeable when they’re loud and bombastic (Like with the explosive gang vocals on Better to Best), there are subtle moments where they shine through as well, like on the outro of House Address or during Regional Dialect. There are moments that I wish there was more diversity in the vocals-the subdued You & Me & Me is a bit too sweet and monotonous- but for the most part the vocals have the ability to command attention and deliver some incredibly emotive moments.

The guitars here also shine through, delivering riffs and tones with solid execution. They aren’t overly intricate or loud, but they demand attention through how masterfully they’re executed. Part of what grabs you in the first couple of seconds on this LP is how well done the opening riffs are on Match and Tinder. House Address also attests to how integral guitar is to this album working.  Even though experimentation is kind of low here (Save a gloriously odd solo at the tail end of Rock Springs), the guitar does the best it can to make Keep Doing What You’re Doing a very good album.

Keep Doing What You’re Doing isn’t a revolutionary album in this revival, but it is a very well executed and incredibly enjoyable one. The band has found a sound that works for them and uses it to its fullest extent. It sounds just like its influences, and honestly would fit right in with those bands.

Summary: Keep Doing What You’re Doing manages to be a fine example of what this Emo Revival has to offer, with great guitars and vocals keeping every song (From the fantastic ones to the bland ones) interesting and enjoyable.

Choice Cuts: Match and Tinder, House Address, Better to Best

Leftovers: You & Me & Me

B

You can stream House Address below. Keep Doing What You’re Doing is out 1/14 (Tomorrow) on Topshelf Records.