Empire!Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)

If, when you hear the word "emo,” you think of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid or the Promise Ring before My Chemical Romance and their ilk, then this is the record for you. The two songs contained on this seven-inch are unashamedly sad, but they’re not intrinsically depressing. The title track builds subtly as distortion-free guitars pick and pluck quiet melodies while the softly sung words of Keith Latinen will have you thinking back fondly to 1993. The b-side, "idk, my bff Jill,” starts off a little more explosively, with Latinen howling like the guy from Desert City Soundtrack before returning to the softer side. This track pushes and pulls a little more than its companion, building tension before ultimately releasing it in a barrage of tortured howls and plucky guitars. This whole records drips nostalgia in the best kind of way.