Despite bearing the moniker of a “Midwest emo” band, The Front Bottoms have been based out of New Jersey since 2006. Most songs in the group's discography relate to introspection and shed an unglamorous light on the realities of young adulthood. The band’s sixth studio album, "You Are Who You Hang Out With", was released last Friday, and while some fans may be deterred by the use of new style, the band is simply staying true to that which it writes about: growing and changing in spite of the world around you.
The core elements that make the music of The Front Bottoms identifiable, such as the piercing and imperfect vocal tone of frontman Brian Sella, and the pervasive, pounding drums of Mathew Uychich, remain intact for the duration of the record. However, the introduction of heavily stylized autotune and the expression of new genres in some songs gives the album a new edge that the two musicians had yet to explore.
Songs like "Emotional" and "Clear Path" offer a grungier and more electronic sound to The Front Bottoms’ repertoire, while still remaining in line with their lyrical tendencies. The heavy use of autotune on these songs distorts Sella’s voice to sound emblematic of 2010s pop-punk artists.
Songs like "Outlook" and "Batman" are classic iterations of The Front Bottoms’ style and lyrics. Both utilize imagery and storytelling in the way that has made the band famous since the late 2000s. The anthemic choruses, mind-rattling drums and swelling outros are perfect examples of how the raw energy that fans have come to love has not been entirely forgotten with the new album.
Somewhere between the two aforementioned styles lies "Brick" and "Punching Bag Both songs are unique, but are still decent combinations of the new and old styles of the band, making them suitable for new and old listeners alike.
One of the weaker songs on the album is "Paris.” Although the overall mellow atmosphere allows the song's potential to shine through, it was made to sound over the top through the use of autotune. "Paris" would have sounded better using the old techniques of the band and is the only example of a song on the album that makes the new style seem unnecessary.
The strongest contender on the album is by far the final track, "Finding your way home.” The song is the perfect blend of mellow and freeing, offering a perfect summary of the album as a whole. It preaches the theme that sometimes you just have to let the person you love find their own way back to you, no matter what that path looks like. The Front Bottoms use this opportunity to create relatability and fresh perspectives out of the most basic of cliches.
"You Are Who You Hang Out With" lacks a cohesive style, but in exchange for a collection of differing styles that is a perfect reflection of the creativity and freedom that Uychich and Sella share with one another. The album is a demonstration of the kind of cathartic outlet that all young sufferers wish they had.
