Into It. Over It. - Standards

Into It. Over It.
Standards
2016
Spotify

Emo music has taken it's fair share of hits over time and the explosion of emo music from the early 2000's has faded. There was a bit of a revival in the 2010's but no where to the level that it once enjoyed. Fitting into a genre is one thing, but what it all really comes down to is creating good music and that is what Into It. Over It. has done with this new record Standards. Recorded in seclusion you would expect one of those stripped down cabin albums, acoustic guitar, voice, done. But that is not what Standards is, instead it is full bodied and expansive. While the doubled voice, and the occasional straight acoustic track are there this record feels like it would fit perfectly well back in the day as it does today. There are songs like "Vis Major" where your pulse races and you can feel the punk rock seeping through, but there are also tracks such as "Open Casket" that are more of a slow burn pulling you in with their melody rather than their power. It all works to craft something special and new while still holding on to those moments that make emo great. "Old Lace & Ivory" is a song that should feel contrived and should be totally cringe worthy, but there is an earnestness and beautiful sound that is reminiscent of early Death Cab For Cutie. It just hits you right in that little soft spot in your heart that you may have even forgotten was there.

The pace of the record is also one of it's strong points. The songs move quickly one to next, and never linger on one thought or another for a second longer than necessary. While this does cut off some of the endings and make them feel abrupt, it makes the album as a whole move quite nice. For an artist like Weiss this album is one that is much more accessible than his previous releases, but it still maintains all the heart. I've mentioned Death Cab before in this review and if you listen it will make sense because Weiss actually sounds quite a bit like Ben Gibbard. That is not to say that this record is totally derivative, but it is quite jarring when you hear that voice come out of someone who is not Gibbard. The album also highlights the early thirties introspection that most people go through when they reach a certain age. Weiss having gone through a life in a particular scene brings that journey to his fans with this album. The record feels very grown up, yet still influenced by the trials of youth like on "Adult Contempt". This album really does blow up the genre that tries to rein it in, and on the other side is something beautiful and complex. The best thing to say about this record is just get "Into It.".

8.4 out of 10