Riley! - Keep Your Cool
A Tier
Heavily inspired by modern greats like Free Throw and Prince Daddy, Riley! bursts forth with their third album, which is probably their best. The band channels their frustrations into a manifesto of banger riffs, catchy screams and a who's who of Emo features. Betwixt song after song of cathartic and energetic track lies the odd respite, greeting the listener with a sad embrace. In short, this album is Riley!’s statement to the world that they belong in the conversation with other modern greats.
see through person - every way of living
A Tier
After a few years in hibernation getting this album ready, see through person finally unveils their long-awaited debut album. The band caught fire early in the 5th Wave for their Math Rock-laden EPs filled with ridiculous riffs, rough production values and emotional fervor. With over two years away from the Emo spotlight, every way of living is the grand opus that the band was destined to create. The album takes cues from their previous work with intricate song structures, overwhelming guitar and shouted vocals, but also introduces some slower songs and sections to counterbalance the insanity. This album immediately puts see through person back on the map as one of the most exciting things going in Emo today.
glass beach - plastic death
A- Tier
This band is no stranger to controversy in the Emo scene; their first album caused a rift between people who categorized it as Emo and those who didn’t so great it almost singlehandedly defined 5th Wave Emo. After five years, J and the gang triumphantly return with their second LP plastic death. On this second full-length, glass beach drops some of the poppiness found on the first glass beach album in favor of more Progressive Rock influences. Some may say this album has even less Emo cred than their original, though I’d argue that this record transcends simple genre conventions. The Mars Volta successfully combined Prog Rock and Post-Hardcore on De-Loused in the Comatorium, Circle Takes the Square did the same with Prog and Screamo on As the Roots Undo, now glass beach has taken the mantle and fused Prog with Emo on plastic death.
Kudaranai1nichi - Every Last One of Them
A- Tier
Finding comfort in the raw Midwest Emo tones of 2000s Japanese legends like Malegoat and susquatch, the instrumental recordings are strong but never abrasive, a credit to the excellent production. The vocals are infectious and intertwine with the guitar melodies splendidly; at times, like much of the best Japanese Emo, the vocal performance of Daisuke Takane drift into otherworldly territory. Refreshingly, this album isn't Kinsella worship, grounding this otherwise youthful and energetic exercise in sadness.
Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet
A- Tier
Relentlessly heavy, punishingly dark and dramatically atmospheric, Artificial Bouquet is a statement release for 2024 Screamo and for Frail Body. More than 10 years after Deafheaven released their seminal Sunbather record, Frail Body was able to take that general tone and morph it into a screamo anomaly with tons of ethereal Post-Metal bits for good measure. The guitars are dense and dissonant, the drums are a never-ending chaos party and the vocals are brimming with anguish and longing.
