You Blew It!
Keep Doing What You’re Doing
Topshelf Records (2014)
Sounds Like: Angst-ridden punk rock that wears out your lungs
Score: 10/10
The “Buzzworthy” page on MTV.com is filled with all the names you would expect. On my last look, they were talking about Miley, Rihanna, and O-Town (?!?!), so you can imagine my surprise when I saw an article about Florida’s You Blew It! on there. Five months ago I was watching them play in a dimly lit bar to forty kids who parked their cars in the dirt. At the time, they were previewing new songs from Keep Doing What You’re Doing; a record that has undoubtedly changed the course of this band’s career.
In November, the emo quartet delighted fans everywhere by releasing their marquee single “Award of the Year Award,” a song tailor-made for yelling in your car with your windows rolled down. It definitely piqued the interest of everyone curious about what was to be expected from Keep Doing What You’re Doing, and thankfully, high expectations are immediately validated by lead track “Match & Tinder.” The chorus alone has buried itself deep in my brain after only a few spins. The unique ferocity of vocalist Tanner Jones’ delivery is something to revel. At times you’ll strain to hear him over the instruments, at others, he overshadows any guitar riff or drum fill. “Regional Dialect” and “House Address” are both perfect examples of his amazing range.
“A Different Kind of Kindling,” while good, sort of ambles a sad melody through the middle of the record, but leads us into the triumphant “Rock Springs,” one of the group’s best songs; largely aided by that “just go away” yell that is so intense you can practically hear Jones’ neck veins bulge. “Gray Matter” continues the barrage of hooks meant for yelling at the top of your lungs, and “Better to Best” closes the curtain with its slow, achingly introspective honesty.
Keep Doing What You’re Doing is a perfect name for this album, because You Blew It’s tactics are working. Anyone who has listened to them since The Past in Present and on through Grow Up, Dude has seen a steady climb in maturity and direction, and I think we all saw this coming. So whether it’s your friend, or this site, or MTV’s Buzzworthy page that tells you this album is great, believe them. It really is.
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