Kif
10-02-2004, 07:59 PM
Band: The Get Up Kids
Album: Something To Write Home About
Released: September 28th, 1999
http://www.thegetupkids.com
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00001SVM3.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Tracklist:
1. Holiday
2. Action & Action
3. Valentine
4. Red Letter Day
5. Out Of Reach
6. Ten Minutes
7. The Company Dime
8. My Apology
9. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
10. Long Goodnight
11. Close To Home
12. I'll Catch You
Emo nowadays has expanded in every way imaginable. No longer must every song on the album be about the ups and downs of relationships, but some bands actually explored other emotions. Bands like Dashboard Confessional and Brand New have experimented, right where The Get Up Kids left off.
The Get Up Kids' second full length, Something To Write Home About, has become praised by music lovers worldwide, and yet I wondered what it was about them that was so lovable, so charming, so influential. So I set out to get this album and see how powerful it was.
Holiday - 7/10
Not a good track to judge this band by. A very typical pop-punk song from a not so typical band, the song does express a big amount of emotion, but not in the way they generally do. Nevertheless, this is a great song and a really good opener to listen to. The raw sound of the guitars and Matt's vocal work really flow and express the energy and feelins so well. A standard track, nothing more.
Action And Action - 7/10
Again, a very mediocore track. It's still great to listen to, as it pretty much follows the same formula as Holiday, but it isn't ground-breaking. The lyrics aren't the best on the album, but aren't bad either. The music work is quite nice actually, with a bit more melody then the opening track. The keyboard in this really adds to the feel of the song too.
Valentine - 9/10
Probably my favourite track on the album. I don't know, but it's certainly such a strong song. The lyrics flow so well with the smooth and slow riffs, even if the vocal work isn't that good. His voice doesn't express his emotions as well as other songs like this, but that's OK. I know the song sounds so cheesy, but TGUK do cheesy... and they do it well!
Red Letter Day - 8/10
This song is actually quite good. A bit on the poppy side (I can't believe I said that after listening to Valentine!), but it works well. The whole "feel-good" feel of the song is great for emo songs, and quite rare nowadays. The music, like I said, is quite poppy, but I really like it. Anything heavier might have made the vocals and lyrics worth less, which they don't deserve. Superb writing here, for a superb song.
Out Of Reach - 9/10
Starting out with one acoustic and vocals, it's just beautiful and very TGUK. The lyrics really show off this song at the start, and when the piano kicks in, it adds a new dimension to the song and gives it that extra lift. But when the whole band comes in... Oh my God! It just sounds perfect, and is an excellent choice of song for a couple. Lyrically and musically, it is fantastic. Listen to this and you will fall in love with it
Ten Minutes - 8/10
As tongue-in-cheek this song is, it's just so catchy! The multiple vocals, the lyrics, the changing styles of music, it just fits like a jigsaw. OK, so the music isn't that great, but it certainly gets stuck in your head, along with the lyrics. Listen to this and you'll be humming along for hours, even days.
The Company Dime - 6/10
Led mainly by the piano and vocals, with the regular instruments in the background, this song gets it's message across. But not as well as other tracks. It starts off well, but then gets a big sluggish. The riffs get boring and tired, and the lyrics sound a bit forced near the end, but other than that, it's an all-round great track.
My Apology - 6/10
Again, not really a standout track. This song skips along a mid-tempo, blasting out heart-felt lyrics in between small melodies. It is a nice song to listen to, but very difficult after The Company Dime. Vocals in this song are very typical for TGUK, the same goes for the music. Not that interesting of a track, to be honest
I'm a Loner Dottie, A Rebel - 9/10
Ahhh, the tale of a one-night stand. How much have we heard these? Not many from the bands view. Very expressive, and lots of imagery used to convey the scene. The riffs add to the power of the lyrics as well, but only from verse 2 and onwards. The lyrics and vocals are the real fuel to this song, and tell the story like the band want you to hear it. Full of emotion and feeling, like it should be.
Long Goodnight - 9/10
Where the album begins to show it's peak, which is a shame, considering there's only 2 songs left. Heartfelt lyrics and ballad-esque melodies carry this song through your ears and make you cry along. Well, not literally, but, it is incredibly powerful. Matt's change in style in the chorus is great to listen to, and the riff change just makes it so much better. A good song to fall asleep to, and one to listen to anytime, really.
Close To Home - 8/10
Country style here, which later moulded On A Wire. I personally love this song, and don't see how people can dislike it. This is pretty much Red Letter Day and Holiday combined, making an elite poppy emo song to sing along to, and feel the lyrics. Slighty Taking Back Sunday-esque, which is a good sign as well.
I'll Catch You - 10/10
The best ballad I have ever heard, and the best track on the album. The simplicity of the tune, and the way the lyrics touch you, is so obvious, yet so unique. It blends well with Close To Home, and ends with Pryor saying "You're still all that matters to me", a deep lyric to end the album with.
This album takes you on a journey through the mind and life of the band, epecially Matt. He writes song after song about heartbreak, "**** you's", and more heartbreak, which he lets out so well. The whole album tells a genius story, much like TBS's Tell All Your Friends (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160109).
Whether you like rock, pop, or any other style of music, this album will make you think like no other. The blend of styles of music, and the value of the lyrics really puts ideas in your head, and makes you see how songs like these should be written. Post-emo bands nowadays generally follow the formula The Get Up Kids invented with this album, and who can blame them?
Overall, it's stunning. I found it hard to fault that many songs, and equally hard to pick a favourite. I'd give it 4.5/5 overall
Best tracks:
- Valeninte
- I'm a Loner Dottie, A Rebel
- I'll Catch You
Album: Something To Write Home About
Released: September 28th, 1999
http://www.thegetupkids.com
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00001SVM3.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Tracklist:
1. Holiday
2. Action & Action
3. Valentine
4. Red Letter Day
5. Out Of Reach
6. Ten Minutes
7. The Company Dime
8. My Apology
9. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
10. Long Goodnight
11. Close To Home
12. I'll Catch You
Emo nowadays has expanded in every way imaginable. No longer must every song on the album be about the ups and downs of relationships, but some bands actually explored other emotions. Bands like Dashboard Confessional and Brand New have experimented, right where The Get Up Kids left off.
The Get Up Kids' second full length, Something To Write Home About, has become praised by music lovers worldwide, and yet I wondered what it was about them that was so lovable, so charming, so influential. So I set out to get this album and see how powerful it was.
Holiday - 7/10
Not a good track to judge this band by. A very typical pop-punk song from a not so typical band, the song does express a big amount of emotion, but not in the way they generally do. Nevertheless, this is a great song and a really good opener to listen to. The raw sound of the guitars and Matt's vocal work really flow and express the energy and feelins so well. A standard track, nothing more.
Action And Action - 7/10
Again, a very mediocore track. It's still great to listen to, as it pretty much follows the same formula as Holiday, but it isn't ground-breaking. The lyrics aren't the best on the album, but aren't bad either. The music work is quite nice actually, with a bit more melody then the opening track. The keyboard in this really adds to the feel of the song too.
Valentine - 9/10
Probably my favourite track on the album. I don't know, but it's certainly such a strong song. The lyrics flow so well with the smooth and slow riffs, even if the vocal work isn't that good. His voice doesn't express his emotions as well as other songs like this, but that's OK. I know the song sounds so cheesy, but TGUK do cheesy... and they do it well!
Red Letter Day - 8/10
This song is actually quite good. A bit on the poppy side (I can't believe I said that after listening to Valentine!), but it works well. The whole "feel-good" feel of the song is great for emo songs, and quite rare nowadays. The music, like I said, is quite poppy, but I really like it. Anything heavier might have made the vocals and lyrics worth less, which they don't deserve. Superb writing here, for a superb song.
Out Of Reach - 9/10
Starting out with one acoustic and vocals, it's just beautiful and very TGUK. The lyrics really show off this song at the start, and when the piano kicks in, it adds a new dimension to the song and gives it that extra lift. But when the whole band comes in... Oh my God! It just sounds perfect, and is an excellent choice of song for a couple. Lyrically and musically, it is fantastic. Listen to this and you will fall in love with it
Ten Minutes - 8/10
As tongue-in-cheek this song is, it's just so catchy! The multiple vocals, the lyrics, the changing styles of music, it just fits like a jigsaw. OK, so the music isn't that great, but it certainly gets stuck in your head, along with the lyrics. Listen to this and you'll be humming along for hours, even days.
The Company Dime - 6/10
Led mainly by the piano and vocals, with the regular instruments in the background, this song gets it's message across. But not as well as other tracks. It starts off well, but then gets a big sluggish. The riffs get boring and tired, and the lyrics sound a bit forced near the end, but other than that, it's an all-round great track.
My Apology - 6/10
Again, not really a standout track. This song skips along a mid-tempo, blasting out heart-felt lyrics in between small melodies. It is a nice song to listen to, but very difficult after The Company Dime. Vocals in this song are very typical for TGUK, the same goes for the music. Not that interesting of a track, to be honest
I'm a Loner Dottie, A Rebel - 9/10
Ahhh, the tale of a one-night stand. How much have we heard these? Not many from the bands view. Very expressive, and lots of imagery used to convey the scene. The riffs add to the power of the lyrics as well, but only from verse 2 and onwards. The lyrics and vocals are the real fuel to this song, and tell the story like the band want you to hear it. Full of emotion and feeling, like it should be.
Long Goodnight - 9/10
Where the album begins to show it's peak, which is a shame, considering there's only 2 songs left. Heartfelt lyrics and ballad-esque melodies carry this song through your ears and make you cry along. Well, not literally, but, it is incredibly powerful. Matt's change in style in the chorus is great to listen to, and the riff change just makes it so much better. A good song to fall asleep to, and one to listen to anytime, really.
Close To Home - 8/10
Country style here, which later moulded On A Wire. I personally love this song, and don't see how people can dislike it. This is pretty much Red Letter Day and Holiday combined, making an elite poppy emo song to sing along to, and feel the lyrics. Slighty Taking Back Sunday-esque, which is a good sign as well.
I'll Catch You - 10/10
The best ballad I have ever heard, and the best track on the album. The simplicity of the tune, and the way the lyrics touch you, is so obvious, yet so unique. It blends well with Close To Home, and ends with Pryor saying "You're still all that matters to me", a deep lyric to end the album with.
This album takes you on a journey through the mind and life of the band, epecially Matt. He writes song after song about heartbreak, "**** you's", and more heartbreak, which he lets out so well. The whole album tells a genius story, much like TBS's Tell All Your Friends (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160109).
Whether you like rock, pop, or any other style of music, this album will make you think like no other. The blend of styles of music, and the value of the lyrics really puts ideas in your head, and makes you see how songs like these should be written. Post-emo bands nowadays generally follow the formula The Get Up Kids invented with this album, and who can blame them?
Overall, it's stunning. I found it hard to fault that many songs, and equally hard to pick a favourite. I'd give it 4.5/5 overall
Best tracks:
- Valeninte
- I'm a Loner Dottie, A Rebel
- I'll Catch You