[9/10]
Modern Baseball became an almost overnight sensation to pop punk and emo fans back in 2012 when the band, who were all full time college students, recorded and released their debut album Sports to little hype or fanfare. Since the release, this band have gathered a passionate underground fanbase and the release of You’re Gonna Miss It All was hotly anticipated.
‘Fine, Great’ kicks off the album and demonstrates that the bands acoustically driven, emotionally written songs have not changed. Lyrically the song, like many on the album, addresses issues such as anxiety, depression and self-doubt while dealing with relationship troubles, trying to move on with your life and meeting someone new. While such topics may usually be portrayed in ballads and slow songs, Modern Baseball transform them into great songs with catchy melodies. The use of both acoustic and electric guitars mean that each one stands out on the album rather than blending into a single prolonged track.
This album’s upbeat nature, combined with little quirks that the listener will only discover after multiple plays, makes it a pleasure to listen to. While the start of the album is jam-packed with some of the best songs the emo genre has produced recently, the B-side lacks the same high quality in parts – however the songs are a nice change of pace that and grow on you after a while. The band all share vocal duties which adds another dimension to the tracks and make the band stand out in a genre that has been going through a resurgence in the last couple of years.
The stand out track here is definitely ‘Your Graduation’, the lead single off the album. It demonstrates how much Modern Baseball have grown as musicians since the releases of Sports. The lyrics speak to anyone in their late teens and it is an incredible high-tempo rock track that is a perfect accompaniment to a summers day.
Modern Baseball have created one of the best pop punk albums of the year so far, they have improved upon a style which bands like Transit and The Front Bottoms also play, while capturing elements of folk and punk which means the album is very accessible. The lasting impact of the album lies in just how catchy the songs are – after just one listen, the melodies and hooks of songs such as ‘Your Graduation’, ‘Your Apartment’ and ‘The Old Gospel Choir’ will be stuck in your head for days!
