Scumma Do Mar - Gamba Tesa

#6 | A+ Tier

Gamba Tesa is an energetic jaunt through twenty minutes of Mathy Emo filled with twinkly riffs, odd time signatures and passionate vocals. Though this description could fit hundreds of records in this genre, native Neapolitans Scumma do Mar inject their music with that little something that keeps you engaged and makes you put this album on repeat. This LP will keep you on your toes, even if it isn’t treading original ground.

Strelitzia - Winter

A Tier

Arizona Emo band Strelitzia formed nearly a decade ago in 2015 and have only released one EP back in 2017. The promise displayed in those 20 minutes is fulfilled on their debut album Winter, a monumental effort of Midwest Emo, Math Rock, Post-Rock and Indie, among other influences. Refreshing and varied song structures give this album a unique identity among the other Emo contemporaries. Though they are prone to superfluous instrumentation, the breadth of their sounds and depth of their songwriting prevents it from being utter wankery.

bonus - was a dog

B Tier

Brand new Emo Revival Revival band bonus enter the scene with a delightfully twinkly and raw throwback to the early 10s with a cavalcade of epic riffs, DIY recording and production, flawed yet emotional vocals and some truly kickass tracks. At less than 13 minutes, this band shows us a small preview of the epicness they can craft.

Bulgarelli - Fat Animals

B Tier

Bulgarelli adds another quality thread to the grand fabric of Italian Emo with their debut LP, a strong outing that takes cues from both traditional Midwest Emo of the Second Wave and mathy Midwest Emo of the Revival. The emphasis is naturally on the guitars, which do a phenomenal job covering melody and harmony with slick dual guitar lines. The rhythm section more than holds their own, though, allowing the earnest vocals to stand out when necessary.

no more sports - hey wayne

B Tier

no more sports is the perfect example of post-irony; named so because there are too many Emo bands with sports references, they carry on the sports band name tradition while taking great influence from those same acts. Mathy guitar twinkles, slightly juvenile songwriting approach and the feeling of catharsis can all be found on this astounding nine minute EP. The band also released an even shorter s/t EP this year which is also excellent. This could be one of Detroit's best Emo bands in years, and that's quite the accomplishment!