Review By: Alex Prusik

Rating: A-

RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, The Front Bottoms, The Promise Ring, Modern Baseball

Recommended Tracks: “Give Me The Gun,” “I Need a Drink (Or Two or Three)” and “Born To Lose”

It has been 17 years since the previous American Football release, also titled American Football. With only one previous full length album release by American Football, they’ve grown to have a large cult following due to their unique emo indie rock. The first LP was an emo indie rock cult classic that dealt with young love, oncoming adulthood, and depression which has grown in notoriety over the years with a reissue being released in 2014 accompanied by a reunion tour.

The new LP sounds just like a continuation of the previous one albeit with slight differences. American Football brings back the twinkly/jangly emo guitar still gentle as on the previous edition however lead singer and guitarist Mike Kinsella’s voice has gotten deeper due to the time, 17 years, between albums. But still Kinsella’s soft singing carries over a staple of American Football’s style.

Sound production of the music tends to be cleaner in sound, with the crisp vocals and guitars, as opposed to muggy sound of the previous album. The themes of the previous album are retained as well with depression being visited on the song “I’ve Been Lost for So Long” and “I Need a Drink (Or Two or Three)”. The song “Where Are We Now” could be a slight nod to the fact they’ve been split up for so long.

17 years without a release and you can tell American Football has grown up some. LP2 is a mature step from the typically immature emo tendencies that deal with teenage desires and young adulthood. With both albums having the subject of grasping onto the past, love, and depression – LP2 presents a more mature tone rather than the boyish voice as LP1 had done.