The difference, by ear
The revival takes its entire technical vocabulary from Midwest emo, and the difference is thirty years of self-awareness about doing so.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 100 to 160 bpm. To hear the difference, play The World Is a Beautiful Place... next to American Football. Both grew out of emo, Midwest emo first and emo revival sixteen years after.
In figures
Emo revival
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Emo revival
In short
A new generation rediscovers the Midwest sound, this time with Bandcamp instead of fanzines.
How it sounds
- Home-recorded production with clean guitars and unprocessed vocals.
- Structures borrowed from Midwest emo, with tapping and open tunings.
- Long, nearly prose-like lyrics about anxiety and small towns.
Key acts
- The World Is a Beautiful Place...
- Modern Baseball
- Algernon Cadwallader
Start here
The pickAlgernon Cadwallader - Some Kind of Cadwallader. Cap'n Jazz reincarnated, unapologetically.
Full page →Midwest emo
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Midwest emo
In short
Open tunings and interlocking arpeggios, odd meters and lyrics about autumn and empty rooms.
How it sounds
- Open tunings and two guitars playing separate, interlocking lines.
- Odd meters used discreetly, with no display of technique.
- The occasional trumpet, slow tempos, and lyrics about places and seasons.
Key acts
- American Football
- Cap'n Jazz
- The Promise Ring
Start here
The pickAmerican Football - Never Meant. That opening guitar figure is a whole genre.
Full page →