The Get Up Kids – Problems

Missouri’s The Get Up Kids was a staple in the mid-90’s emo scene that has sort of faded from collective consciousness.  The band’s legacy of angsty and catchy second-wave emo has kept albums like Something To Write Home About reappearing on best of lists for the past two decades, but public memory seems to fade from around there.  Frontman Matt Pryor has kept a low but stable profile in releasing several deeply intimate solo efforts, and The Get Up Kids have taken a seven year break between albums leading up to their sixth full length, Problems.  Clearly such a release schedule produces very little public momentum, so at this point anything Pryor and the gang release is strictly for a loyal and established audience.

Problems lands on the more melody driven side of The Ket Up Kids’ spectrum.  While their previous album, There Are Rules, could be termed a more experimental offering, Problems is a smooth, sonically consistent outing.  Opener “Satellite” strikes a balance between forceful drumming, full bodied riffs and Pryor’s easy landing vocals.  Its high energy without the youthful exhaustion. The same can be said about “The Problem is Me” and “Now Or Never,” which have that unmistakable Get Up Kids approachability and memorable emo-esque lines like “Tonight, we only have now or never.”  And of course there is a diversity of listening as The Get Up Kids move through various tempos in exploring each mental state.  “Salina” slips in at a reduced tempo, accentuating the keyboard work during lines that detail “a sentimental fool” in vulnerable vocal eloquence akin to Pryor’s solo work.

One notably fun little moment arises in the synth heavy tune sharing a name with musician “Lou Barlow.”   “I saw Lou Barlow on the street, I don’t think he noticed me,” sings Pryor before articulating the punch line, “I started humming all his songs, he refused to sing along.”  The song’s poppy, singable chorus comes balanced with a few moody, spoken style passages that would fall in line with the likes of Deathcab for Cutie.  Meanwhile, “Waking Up Alone” funnels keyboards that remind listeners of James Dewees’ other primary project, Reggie and the Full Effect.  The Get Up Kids have evolved over the years, which is a welcome reality for a band that’s pushing twenty five years.

Overall, Problems is the album you’d expect from a band with so many active members continuing to develop as musicians in other side and solo projects.  The Get Up Kids remain distinctly recognizable, but Problems reflects the band’s path towards the present as much as it continues to remind fans of the past.  I’ve really enjoyed my time spinning Problems over the past few weeks, as it’s become a safe goto for something both melodic and angsty without forcing me to revert to my nineteen year old self.  Here’s to hoping that the band hits the nail on the head in another seven years too.