Losing Sleep are keen purveyors of alternative music scenes of the past. There are subtle nods on their debut full-length to countless artists and styles of years gone by. Be it the unexpectedly emotional chorus on ‘Hesitate To Call’ or the self-titled blink-182 notions on ‘Never Told You’. ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ is a compilation of everything that made the era of emo brilliant, without ever sounding confused or unoriginal.
It’s all pulled together by a vocal and lyrical delivery that adds a personal quality, perfectly amplified by the occasional harmony. There’s an intimacy and directness, even in the most upbeat moments. The production leaves just enough imperfection to give ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ a rough edge. Through this the heartfelt moments feel more genuine, the heavier moments more impactful. Not least on ‘Tin Can Telephones’, with the wondrously raw guest vocals.
‘I Wrote Off My Tape Deck’ provides an emotive close to the record, gently hinting at Taking Back Sunday and their ilk. As it kicks in it provides an accurate summary of the record as a whole. Open and sincere, it blurs the boundaries of emo and pop-punk through a DIY aesthetic. Powerful in its riffs yet subtle in its melody, none of its interchanging styles ever become overbearing, leaving the record as wholly Losing Sleep.
If you’re worried about having missed out on defining styles of the last fifteen years, this record offers an extremely solid round-up of foregone eras. Perhaps more importantly though, it offers Losing Sleep, and that is truly something not to miss out on.
BEN TIPPLE