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The Get Up Kids

Problems

Written by: PP on 26/06/2021 01:54:52

Get this, the last time we reviewed The Get Up Kids, Myspace was still a thing. That was almost ten years ago today when they released an excellent reunion album "There Are Rules" which reminded us why they were one of the most important bands leading to the surge in Midwestern emo bands across the board. Somehow we missed their sixth album "Problems" when it was originally released two years ago after an eight-year break, but the completionist in me requires such seminal releases to eventually become a part of our review archives, especially considering "Problems" functions as an excellent introductory record to the next generation of fans that weren't around when emo classics like "Something To Write Home About" were originally released.

Essentially, "Problems" underlines all the reasons why The Get Up Kids are main stage regulars at most festivals they play. It's full of introverted, yet sweet emotional alternative rock melodies that resonate with fans of bands like Jimmy Eat World, Mineral, Braid, Further Seems Forever, and many others like them. "Satellite" features a passionate chorus that opens the record with a bang, whereas "The Problem Is Me" deep dives into genre foundations with introspective lyrics about relationships, while "Salina" delivers some of those soothing, alternative-rock fueled melodies that elevated The Get Up Kids from being just an emo band into something bigger.

What's more, "Problems" is exemplary in demonstrating raw songwriting quality. A song like "Lou Barlow" or the upbeat "Fairweather Friends" that in an instant turns into a melodramatic, saddened mood during its chorus displays exactly how good The Get Up Kids are at playing with moods within their melodies. At the same time, the songs are ridiculously catchy, but not superficially so like many pop punk bands' equivalents. Instead, there's a constant sense of depth and thoughtfulness that's embedded within the soundscape, thus giving "Problems" the kind of longevity and replay value most other similar records miss.

Matt Pryor still pours his heart out as believably as ever despite the band growing in size over the years, surpassing his performance on "There Are Rules" on multiple tracks (see the nostalgia-drenched "Common Ground, for instance). Effectively, The Get Up Kids delivered yet another example of how emotionally charged, feelings-based music is supposed to sound like on this record, making it worthwhile to revisit even two years after its original release. And with lyrics like "No, it never gets easier waking up alone / Now my sentimental heart is growing cold", the next generation of emo fans are set to form bands and cite The Get Up Kids as their influence. As one commenter put, imagine being this great at what you do for over twenty years.

Download: Satellite, Lou Barlow, The Problem Is Me, Common Ground, Waking Up Alone, Salina
For the fans of: Mineral, Braid, Texas Is The Reason, Jimmy Eat World, Further Seems Forever
Listen: Facebook

Release date 10.05.2019
Polyvinyl