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| Album Rating: A- |
2011 was a rough year for emo fans. The successive disbandments of My Heart to
Joy, Snowing, and Grown Ups were simply too much to bear, and left many
followers of the renowned twinkle daddies (forgive me) sobbing as they clung
dearly to their Parrot Flies records
with what little hope they had left. Certainly,
these three acts made their mark and left some seriously big shoes to fill, but
bands like Orlando, Fla.’s You Blew It! have proven that there is no shortage of
nerdy, cat-loving math rockers in the punk scene willing to step up to the
plate. With their new Topshelf Records
debut, You Blew It! truly show improvement from their first two EPs, and will
undoubtedly win over any remaining skeptics of their previous work (if there
are any). Through the use of jangly guitar riffs and scatterbrained lyrics, Grow Up, Dude perfectly encompasses the
genre’s quirky charm and rivals Snowing’s
I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted
as the best sing-along party emo album to have come out in recent years.
Despite the polished, relaxed delivery of You Blew It!’s
previous EP, Grow Up, Dude takes on a
bit more of an unrefined approach. Fuzzier
production and a “shoutier” singing delivery on most tracks give the album a
different aesthetic than The Past in
Present. While instrumentals still
remain technical and interesting, the main focus has been shifted to the vocal
department, run by Tanner Jones. Throughout
the course of the album he intimately and humorously details countless parties,
late-night hangs, and personal interactions.
Take “I’m Bill Paxton” for example, in which Jones exclaims, “I’m right
where I need to be: Spending sleepless nights at Steven’s and drinking too much
coffee.” The lackadaisical, witty nature
of the lyrics is perhaps the album’s most endearing aspect, and gives Grow, Up Dude a sense of individuality,
which is something that is often lacking in the genre.
“Good for Bond, Bad for You” highlights everything that You
Blew It! does well, featuring impressive drumming patterns, winding lead guitar
lines, and drunkenly poetic lyrics such as, “Everything that you claim you’re
into, you’re nothing to get attached to” - one of the many lines that makes the
album so immediately memorable and easy to grasp. Lighthearted confrontation is a recurring
lyrical theme that also pops up in the track (and in others as well) when Jones
explains, “If you had anywhere else to be besides stealing beer at parties,
frankly I’d be surprised.” As if the
track was not likeable enough already, a guest vocal appearance by Steven Gray of
Dikembe and Wavelets helps to add some variety, solidifying it as the standout
track on the album, though the others are not far behind.
Throughout the course of the album there are many more gems
to be found, including the all-too-singable “Terry Vs. Tori,” which was
previously featured on a Topshelf Records compilation, as well as “The Fifties,”
a subdued, drumless intermission with a strictly clean vocal approach. Overall, Grow
Up, Dude is an expansive emo release with a lot of depth to it. Though You Blew It! have not rewritten the
book on the genre as we know it, their original songwriting and lyricism is
refreshing nonetheless. The album may
have its moments of reservation, but it is one that is best played loudly to
small, cohesive crowds, and I, for one, will be disappointed if I do not get
the chance to scream alongside the Floridian emo rockers in a basement this
summer.
Track listing:
1. Grow Up, Dude 2. Pinball House
3. The One With David
4. Terry V. Tori
5. Medal Of Honor
6. The One With Marc
7. I Am, I'm Trying
8. The Fifties
9. Good For Bond, Bad For You
10. I'm Bill Paxton
11. A Noble Black Eye
12. There's Nothing I Love More Than Baseball
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