You Blew It! is an emo/indie band from Florida – one that first made an impression on me when I heard their debut album, Grow Up, Dude. Since then, they have released a split with Fake Problems. I had no idea that the band had even been in the studio recording a new album until about a month ago. When I first heard “Award of the Year Award,” I was immediately stoked and hooked on the new direction the band was going in.
Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It. did the production and played bass for Keep Doing What You’re Doing. This LP is more varied than any of the other material this band has released before – though I’m not saying that in a negative way. This album has its slower songs and a lot of the songs are less twinklier than the ones heard on Grow Up, Dude. The opening tack, “Match and Tinder,” is a very fast-paced track with a lot less twinkle than I had expected. As I listened to this album a few more times, I noticed that a lot of the songs weren’t super twinkly, but tracks like “Rock Springs” lean more toward the familiar You Blew It! sound.
Having Weiss produce this album was an awesome choice. This album features a lot more progression with sound, but it’s still very much an emo album. As I said before, some songs are slower, such as the track titled “House Address,” which is the longest track on the album at just under five minutes; although the track does progress into louder guitars, it’s still kept at a slower pace. One of my favourite tracks on the album is probably “You & Me & Me.” The vocals are slow and sung a bit lower, totally complimenting the instruments in the best way I’ve heard on an album in a while. I also really love the tracking on this album; none of the tracks feel repetitive or seem to drag on at all.
Instrumentally, this album shows huge progression. These songs just sound good. Sometimes, bands may put out an awesome debut then release a sophomore LP that just doesn’t have the same effect as that awesome debut did, but that is not the case here at all. The guitar work is really perfect for this album because not every song twinkles its heart out. These songs are full of emotion that upbeat instrumentals sound perfect with, and the bass thumps its way through the album. For example, on “Award of the Year Award,” the guitar suddenly makes a stop for several seconds, so you just hear bass and drums. The guitar then returns and carries the track through as Tanner Jones sings “Maybe it’s just me…” The song can easily find its way into your head. Another song that the bass stands out in to me is the third track, “Strong Island.” This song is also very catchy; the guitars are twangy and the singing is less harsh and more complimentary to one of the slower, more emotional songs on the album.
You Blew It! took a different approach with the sound of Keep Doing What You’re Doing, but it definitely paid off and this album is a step up for the band. You Blew It! put out a new album with some new ideas to help the music sound fresh and not so much like the last album. If you’re a fan of emo or previous releases from the band – or even if you have never listened to them before – you will most likely find this album super enjoyable. This album lived up to my expectations in every way I could want a record to, as it’s something that new and old fans of You Blew It! can enjoy.
