From the first line of the first track – Modern Baseball’s second full-length release, ‘You’re Gonna Miss It All’ on Run For Cover Records, is quintessential pop punk. From the instantly recognisable vocal style to the familiar themes of friends, girls and dwelling on the past, there’s a lot in this album that sits very comfortably with the genre. That’s not to say, however, that it’s no more than a generic pop punk record. Modern Baseball have a recipe for greatness here – witty, relatable lyrics; catchy riffs; and a sense that even at its most angsty, it’s all a bit tongue-in-cheek. This is an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Yet even in the more upbeat songs, there is a sense of heartfelt melancholy to this record. The whole thing feels almost painfully honest throughout, underneath the light-hearted choruses and liberal swearing. Lyrics like, “Trying hard not to look like I’m trying that hard, failing miserably at everything including that,” really hit a nerve. It also comes across as somewhat more mature than their 2012 EP ‘Sports’, both lyrically and in terms of production; understandably, considering that while ‘Sports’ was self-produced, ‘You’re Gonna Miss It All’ has been professionally mixed and mastered.
Comparatively, there are a lot of similarities here to bands like The Wonder Years and Real Friends, but there are also some defining differences. Some of the guitar melodies have a decidedly folky feel, especially at the start of ‘Going To Bed Now’ – the immediate resemblance is to some of Frank Turner’s punkier offerings. Although ‘Your Graduation’ and ‘Rock Bottom’ have already been singled out and released, to great reviews from various publications, there are no filler tracks on this album. Right to the final chord of ‘Pothole’, every song is energetically gripping, and the lyrics promise to haunt you for days.
BECKI SMITH