Something to Write Home About

Tea pairing: Chai tea with sugar

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Here it is, one of the staples of the entire emo scene. It goes without saying that if this album was never made the entire landscape as we know it would be drastically different.

There would be no real poppy, three chord Blink-182-esque punk bummer songs and instead a sea of post-hardcore era emo with a far more abrasive sound. Emo, in its entirety, would be something else altogether.

Thankfully we live in a world where The Get Up Kids, hailing from Kansas City, did in fact put out their colossally influential second album, Something to Write Home About, and because of the album’s strong emo-pop sound a second wave of emo bands have begun to spring up.

Something to Write is one of emo’s first notable steps into a truly pop sound, but is still filled to the brim with angst and the typical emo hallmarks. What sets this record aside from, say, Goddamnit isn’t really the lyricism, but more so the approach. Alkaline Trio made their name in the punk scene, and while The Get Up Kids did as well, there is a notable break in the latter’s sound.

Make no mistake, the album definitely sounds like a late 90’s pop punk piece, chords and choruses and all, but there is a very real pop element also. There is enough to differentiate this album from others released around the same time, but it does find a very comfortable space amongst similar releases from the same time.

With album opener “Holiday” Something to Write Home About kicks off with frontman Matt Pryor’s pinning vocals in the lines “Say goodnight, mean goodbye/I know you think my life should stop when you’re away”. Any fan of The Get Up Kids or Matt Pryor knows very well how confessional and personal songs can be.

“Holiday” is no exception. It may not be a lightning bolt like “Cringe” is on Goddamnit, but the emo-punk sentiment is there. Album highlights consist of the classic “Action & Action” and synth-laden “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel”. Both tracks display Pryor’s skillful songwriting as well as the band’s catchy playing style.

I was a tad late to the album, only listening to it about a year ago, but I was almost instantly hooked by TGUK’s extremely confessional lyrics. I was, and still am, very fond of “Long Goodnight” where Pryor sings of not being angry after a rather messy breakup. As a fellow heartbroken person I felt a particular closeness to the song.

The rather personal lyrics do an amazing job of allowing the listener to connect to the songs, and even if that was not the immediate intention upon their writing, it has become very true in the 20 plus years since Something to Write Home About was released.

As with most emo records, there is a strong emphasis on expression and Something to Write Home espouses plenty of expression track by track, culminating in the piano lead “I’ll Catch You.” In an album full of poppy hooks, the stripped down sound and Pryor’s vocals stand out to make the final track one of the most emotional of the album.

What sets this album aside from others either released around the same time or even now is how confident the record is. For only their second album, The Get Up Kids managed to put together an LP that hardly falters on any track. Along with its personal nature, the confidence found within it is just another reason why it has remained a pillar in the emo and pop punk scenes.

With a plethora of second wave, or maybe third wave, emo bands breaking out across the country such as Mom Jeans, Joyce Manor, and The Hotelier, it is not at all hard to see how far The Get Up Kids’ influence has reached, let alone that of Something to Write Home About. The album is truly a timeless slice of emo-pop that has left an indelible mark on modern emo as we know it.

Heavier sounding groups Jawbreaker and Dag Nasty, make it hard to see the poppier, more radio friendly side of a misunderstood genre. The late 90s and early 00s saw an explosion of emo and pop punk bands looking to leave their marks, and while many have, many more have failed. The Get Up Kids, and their second album, certainly left their mark, and have also given life to more bands of their ilk.