Rolling Stone’s top 40 emo albums (20-16)

20: At The Drive-in - In/Casino/Out (1998, Fearless)

This El Paso band’s sound was informed by psychedelics, political theory and geographic isolation. They share some twinkly guitar work with their Midwestern counterparts, but like any good band from the middle of nowhere, their sound is more of a mosaic compared to their contemporaries. Vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala opts for a bark over a whine, giving this record the type of bite found on East Cost post-hardcore from a few years prior.  Musically, notes of proto-punk, garage rock and no wave lend more punch than the indie-meets-jazz stylings commonly associated with second wave emo. I hadn’t heard this in ten years, but it’s more in my preferred lane of late 90’s punk than ATDI’s follow-up, Relationship of Command, which I’m more familiar with.

19: Brand New - Déjà Entendu (2003, Razor & Tie)

I originally wrote an absolutely scathing review of this but deleted it to not offend any avid readers who might cite the record as a childhood favourite. I also don’t want to take my publication into the Pitchfork/Fantano realm of heavy-handed, undiplomatic hot takes. I’ll just say Jesse Lacey’s voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard and the music honks. Let’s keep it pushing.

18: Saves The Day - Through Being Cool (1999, Equal Vision)

Normal people are probably perplexed at how I could hate Brand New but love this. My judgement is somewhat clouded by nostalgia. I’m more familiar with Saves the Day than most of the list because they get a pass from hardcore, whereas many bands who directly ripped them off, like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New, don’t. That’s partly a time and place thing, but this record also leans more into the punk side of the pop-punk dichotomy — driving a bit harder and going a bit faster. The hooks on here are incredible, though. Any third wave emo fan who can get past the bristlier production should have a lot to chew on. Listen to this and then go back to Say Anything or TBS and it will immediately be clear how important Through Being Cool is. Even bands like Fall Out Boy and Paramore will tell you this album (along with Jersey’s Best Dancers by Lifetime) is patient zero for what they were doing early on.

17: Mineral - The Power of Failing (1997, Crank!)

Second wave emo was basically a melting pot of 90’s alt rock, and no record proves it more than this one. It’s got tons of scrappy punk rock energy and loud-soft dynamics that feel shamelessly ripped from Nevermind, switching at the stomp of a pedal between indie inspired twinkles and the swirling drive of stuff like HUM. It’s also  way less wimpy than I remember. There’s definite navel gazing, but when it kicks into gear, it goes pretty hard.

16: Dag Nasty - Can I Say? (1986, Dischord)

I’ve tried numerous times to connect with this seminal 80’s hardcore record, and today’s listen may have been the one to finally do it. What sold it for me was connecting the similarities between guitarist Brian Baker’s complex chord progressions on this record and his work on Minor Threat’s Out of Step. That album dropped a few years earlier in 1983, and would pair nicely — if you’re listening along — to get a sense of emo’s earliest evolution. It’s both a musical and spiritual precursor to Dag Nasty, waxing lyrically about failing friendships, while musically slowing down a tiny bit to allow room for melody. The leads on Can I Say? are more somber — and drenched in guitar effects — but the band’s still playing at a breakneck pace, even compared to their direct peers in Embrace (who also feature former Minor Threat members) and Rites of Spring. I think speed suits this music well, lending an energy and urgency that sometimes gets lost in the plodding pace of the other Revolution Summer bands.