FFO: Free Throw, Mom Jeans, Soccer Moms.
Stockholmian emoband Rachael in Spring just released their pretty sick new album Your Favourite Color containing ten stone cold emo bangers. The collection starts with the twinkling guitars of “Autumn winds”; a classic 4th/5th-wave-ish emo tune which throws us into fast-paced instrumentals and perfectly whiny vocals about being no one to someone. It’s a sick tune with a sick sound, helped a bunch by its crazy good drumming and some small details that do a lot for its vibe (harmonica in the back of the mix?). These guys know how to build an emo track with “Autumn winds” exploding from a sick riff to a euphoric last refrain through a very much in-genre build up.
These elements and themes run rampant throughout the album, but each track still feels unique and brings something worthwhile to the table. For example – the next tune “mord” has much more of a post-hardcore feel to it and something akin to skatepunk shows up in “You swore To Never Hurt Me But You Killed Me Instead” where more straightforward drumming and intense riffs take charge. The charm is turned up to extremes when the album decides to shift into Swedish, such as the case of “WIPEOUT” where the catchy melodies really come forth along with its heartaching lyrics – not that the songs in English lack any of these qualities but they really shine here.
Angst, confusion, sadness and all of the emotions are infused deep within the album, just like they should – the vocals always seem like they’re one step from bursting apart – but not when Rachael In Spring decides to tone down their dynamics in the album’s title track “your favourite color”, here the moshpit-inducing speedy electric guitar is switched with tear-inducing acoustic. This penultimate track sets the stage for “CRASH FM” to establish an answer to the themes of heartbreak throughout the album – “falling in love is stupid”.
As of lately emo seems to be on the up and up, specifically some form of midwest emo (insert copypasta) – hopefully bands like Rachael In Spring can ride this wave and continue building something of an emoscene in Sweden and Scandinavia because music like this is very good and there needs to be more of it. Listen to the album and go to a show if or when they play near you!
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