Review Summary: Emo pop-punk executed perfectly
We are at the end of an era. The greatest generation rode off into the sunset. Once noplace, home is now firmly there with a mortgage and kids. The golden age of mature pop-punk has trailed off, and all that’s left to do is ruminate on the impossible past. What a decade.
For a brief minute there, we seemed to have a crop of chosen ones that could usher in a new era of excellence and innovation. But as of their last release, Trophy Eyes will continue to grow away from me, along with the rest of these forlorn bands. And that’s okay. Life moves on. We’ll always have Pari- I mean, Paramore.
However……..
Don’t close that book just yet. A trio out of Michigan just dropped a grenade into the emerging quiet - six tracks and 18 and a half minutes of the freshest emo pop-punk you’ll have heard in years.
Saturdays at Your Place boasts a couple of musical ingredients that make this project stand out and impress. A tight rhythm section propels each song with a sincere sense of fun, while the guitarist adopts the Tiny Moving Parts brand of noodly and technical guitarwork. All three members of the band take on major solo singing roles - an eternally welcome bit of DIY in the genre - and while their pipes aren’t anything to write home about, their voices fit the material very well.
It’s a beautiful marriage of exciting and electric performances with a dash of that Modern Baseball sad-boy emo energy that will bring you right back to high school.
As with every other genre of music, what really makes this EP special is the songwriting. Each track is flawlessly paced, with engaging moments scattered evenly throughout. "Future" utilizes harmonies delightfully amid a very sing-able intro and a dance-able outro. Both opening tracks interpret the “pop” half of the equation correctly, unlike the saccharine and whine of something like a Neck Deep.
Speaking of, I also think the order of the tracks is rather immutable. "Tarot Cards" swoops in to be the pleasant and accessible lead single, albeit with a very ear-catching bridge. "Hospital Bed" is a sneaky indie rocker that harkens back to the best of The Front Bottoms. "Eat Me Alive" fulfills the Title Fight influence with a hazy and downbeat intro before exploding into a pop-punk descent that feels timeless to genre fans.
All in all, this is the most promising EP since Everything Goes Away. And even if they go the way of Trophy Eyes, I’m more than happy enough to have this project, and I have high hopes for their next few releases.
Goddammit, I’m gonna have to say the thing. Pop punk’s not dead.
