The recent inexplicable emo revival has reminded us that there was a lot wrong with music in the early-aughts. But for every band like Simple Plan and New Found Glory, aimed at heartbroken teens clutching lyric journals filled with 7th grade poetry, there were far better bands that knew how to write solid, complex songs of angst and confusion that never really got the accolades they truly deserved – bands like Jimmy Eat World and Hot Rod Circuit. Coming in with the latest crop of emo-digging bands is Denver’s Instant Empire, which thankfully have much more in common with the latter than the former.
Their debut, Lamplight Lost, takes weighty lyrics and balances them with impressive guitars and time signatures. The band teamed up with a duo of producers who have worked with everyone from Spoon and Kurt Vile to Death Cab For Cutie and while the guys behind the board certainly had some effect to the finished project, there is so much to like on songs like “Dead Air” and the quieter “Mind the Gap” that the band could likely have just as impressed with a stripped down demo.
Instant Empire – Lamplight Lost/10 tracks/self-released/2015 / http://www.instantempireband.com/ / http://instantempire.bandcamp.com/album/lamplight-lost