U92 has ears everywhere. Big ones. Antlers, too. Our lineup of DJs, sports
guys, newscasters, and management has a combined music taste that spans from
the one Taylor Swift song they always play on the radio (I think it’s called “I’ll
Write Your Name”? Not sure) to Limp Pumpo’s iconic and genre-defining
“SESHING MEDICALLY WITH THE BRAMPTON WARLOCK LORD WHILE IN MY
DUNGEON”. This past year saw some incredible albums released, and though we
may seem omniscient, we can’t listen to everything, and so quite a few albums and
EPs slip through our heads. Now, with 2024 solidly in our rearview mirrors (you
can’t really be sure the last year is gone till you hit September), I’d like to revisit a
few releases that we missed.
See Through Person—Every Way Of Living
See Through Person is a three-piece emo band out of Ypsilanti, Michigan,
that I had the pleasure of seeing and interviewing this past April in Pittsburgh.
Their first full-length album, Every Way of Living, was released on October 25th, 2024,
but only made its way into my on-repeat playlist this past summer. Guitarist and
vocalist Robin Mikan steals the show here, alternating twinkly lead guitar parts
and complex chords in the rhythm parts, with sloppy, Midwest emo singing cut with MCR-esque screams. According to the band, this album was more of a
compilation than a real album, composed of songs written both recently and years
ago. While I think every track on the album is at least solid, the band itself
disagrees. “F--- ‘Stupid Joke,’” their drummer Clob remarked. “I don’t wanna play
that song live.” Stupid Joke aside, though, Every Way of Living has an energy and
vibe unmatched by other emo bands.
Recommended tracks: Girl Talk, Mono-Yellow, Hands or This Skin
Fly Over States—Ghosts
Minnesota-based screamo band Fly Over States seems to really like
Alexisonfire and wants everyone to know it. Their 2024 EP Ghosts is like a
distillation of Alexisonfire’s first album, with soaring leads cutting through
alternating screaming and singing. Clocking in at just under nine minutes, Ghosts
wastes no time making you move. The EP’s dynamic sound almost forces me to
jump around my kitchen listening to it. Although it’s technically four songs, they all fit and flow together so well that the EP is best treated as one long song. The EP’s
production is also top-notch, with every instrument fitting into place perfectly.
Recommended tracks: Literally all of them.
Kerosene Heights—Leaving
Surprise! Another emo release with four songs! My attention span may be
cooked, but Kerosene Heights ate, served, and left no crumbs with their 2024 EP Leaving. The EP opens with “Michigan Again,” bemoaning the end of a visit from a
loved one and going back to the regular work week. The twinkly lead guitars evoke
a big, wide world on a 70-something day in May or June, a cool breeze over a
meadow or field, a pure blue sky overhead, with the lyrics hinting at some kind of
melancholy nostalgia. All around, a fantastic EP!
Recommended tracks: Michigan Again, Night Walk Ultra