Review Summary: Modern Baseball have done a great job at creating a raw, rocking and emotional charged indie punk record
For some reason I have always loathed short songs. Perhaps it’s the result of loving genres that don’t regularly experiment in shorter song durations or believing some sort of twisted offshoot of Ted Mosby’s mum’s logic that “nothing good happens under two minutes”. So naturally once I obtained a copy of Modern Baseball’s latest album You’re Gonna Miss It All, which has a surprisingly short album length; I was skeptical. But quite quickly I released how flawed my logic was.
Modern Baseball’s sophomore release You’re Gonna Miss It All from consists of twelve short emo/indie-punk tracks, with the longest being 3:05 min long and begins with the light hearted romp ‘Fine, Great’. The albums opener greets the listener with an slow acoustic build up, crashing symbols and lead singer Brendan Lukens unique nasally vocals. Lukens voice probably isn’t for everyone, but backed by the solid musicianship and smart lyrical quips, it suits the style they are aiming for. The following track ‘Broken Cash Machine’ shows of some more of the sly wit the band has become known for with the lyrics ‘”Sweeping floors and folding napkins, Praying something cool might happen, The sun explodes, we die the world ends” being a particular favourite. Lyrics like this make the songs on You’re Gonna Miss It All extremely relatable, even if you haven’t been in the exact same situation.
‘Rock Bottom’ keeps their steady formula growing, with some exceptional bouncing guitar riffs that carry the song new heights. Lukens vocals fade into the background which allows the listener to appreciate the infectious nature of the instrumentals more than in other songs. The fun continues with ‘Charlie Black’ which offers an arena sized chorus confined to the space of a lounge room, with the feel of great sing-a-long party punk love affair. Modern Baseball continues to through a few curve balls into the mix as well, with songs like ‘Going To Bed Now’ and ‘Notes’ having elements of country/folk in their construction. But perhaps the greatest moment on the album is the heart wrenching coming of age anthem ‘Your Graduation’. The song builds up with a meaningful lyrical delivery, tight drumming and the introduction of a second vocalist. The song is carried to the finish line with a catchy chorus and a driving guitar riff, making it a worthwhile ride.
All the songs on You’re Gonna Miss It All are largely aim at those in their early to mid-twenties, but are relatable to anyone. Modern Baseball have done a great job at creating a raw, rocking and emotional charged indie punk record, which at times sounds anywhere from Say Anything to The Wonder Years. Modern Baseball has become another band that has changed some of my musical prejudices to show that good things can come in small packages, although I do think with further refinement and maturation this band with only get better. Some of these songs are rather good to the point you ask why couldn’t you have made it a bit longer? The only other gripe is that sometimes when the band incorporates spoken word aspects; it doesn’t really work and comes across as out of place. But songs like ‘Apartment’, ‘The Old Gospel Choir’ and the poignant ‘Your Graduation’ show what this band is capable of and able to create one hell of a fun record.
