Birdfeeder EP/Let's Get You Somewhere Else/Dripping/Ships/When I Couldn't Breathe

Birdfeeder EP - Big Awesome (self-released, 2012)
Pretty great poppy, yet intricate emo. Crisp production, clean guitars, upbeat tempos, nice melodies. There's some subtle guitar noodling thrown in for good measure. What this has over a lot of the excellent emo releases from 2012 is production. If I had discovered this earlier in the year, I think it would have hit me a little harder. Had I discovered it in high school, it would have completely ruined me in the best way.


Let's Get You Somewhere Else - Luther (Chunksaah, 2012)
A nice cross of 90s alt rock, pop punk, and a tiny bit of emo. This record is like a faster, more complex Cheap Girls, and sometimes I think it's better than their wonderful 2012 LP, Giant Orange. Melodies, musicianship, song structures, chord progressions: they all rule. So many great moments. You should definitely listen to these guys.


Dripping - Pile (Exploding in Sound, 2012)
This is some gnarly, jagged 90s inspired indie rock. Very dynamic: intense at moments, very chill and mysterious at others. There are a few outright bores here, but the highs are very high, namely the first two tracks. Good distorted guitars, loud drums, quirky song structures. This recording could have been amazing if it was consistently loud.


Ships - Prawn (Topshelf, 2012)
Very pretty, twinkly emo with some blatant nods to post-rock (delayed guitars, epic and triumphant sounds). The production is awesome. Due to my high school (and never-ending) love of The Appleseed Cast's Low Level Owl, I can definitely dig some parts of this record. It's not really very exciting, though. I guess I just prefer my third wave emo fast and furious.


When I Couldn't Breathe - Sundials (Asian Man, 2012)
Here's another 90s alt rock styled album with pop punk leanings. I came across this and Let's Get You Somewhere Else at the same time, and have virtually spent the same amount of time with each, so it's pretty much inevitable that they will forever be companion pieces to me. When I Couldn't Breathe doesn't really have any emo and is less pop punk, but it's still a very upbeat record, and boy does it have some jams. I think I prefer Let's Get You Somewhere Else, but not by much.