There comes a time in every twenty-something’s life when they must face the realization that the songs they relied on to get them through earlier years no longer possess the ability to cure modern stresses. The life of a young adult in America today is one that does not need gratuitous amounts of broken hearted anthems or songs about road trips you can no longer afford to take. What people need today is something far more personal and grounded in the reality of our times. That might not sound nearly as fun as the pure escapism the bands of our youth aimed to provide, but I would argue you the only reason you feel that might be true is because you have yet to spend time with a band that really knows how to touch on the things that keep you up at night. Such artists and groups do exist, and one of them by the name of You Blew It! (YBI) has a new album arriving in stores later this week.
Abendrot refers to the atmospheric phenomena accompanying the daily disappearance of the sun. It also happens to be the title of You Blew It!’s latest album, which finds the emo Florida natives growing right in time with their audience. The record rises and falls with themes of growing older, reflection, and that ever-present sense of longing every creatively inclined individual feels burning in the pit of their stomach. I am not a member of the band and have yet to speak with them about it, but when I hear the record I it perfectly encapsulates everything I have felt as I’ve slowly, but all too quickly transitioned into the latter half of my twenties. This isn’t an album about finding yourself as much as it accepting the person you discovered yourself to be and finding the strength to make changes where you feel they are needed.
When you were young you probably heard one or many people say that you can be anything you want in life. While it is true that we are all capable of aspiring to heights we have not yet reached it is a bit misleading to pretend that everyone will ultimately become the people they see themselves being while they are still young. In some cases, this is a good thing – great even – because the people we become are better than the vision of ourselves we have carried with us. In other cases, the people we become may fall short of our personal expectations or goals. As much as we’re told to aim high we are given very few lessons on what to do or how to behave in the event things do not turn out the way we see them in our heads. The struggle between who we see ourselves as and who we really are kicks into high gear just as the music and experiences of our youth begins to change. We need new soundtracks because we are new people, and there are very few artists working today who are able to capture the eternal lightness of youth while also addressing the woes of the present quite like You Blew It!
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and the host of Inside Music Podcast. Follow him on Twitter for pop culture references and photos of his french bulldog.
