Review by Shannon Shumaker
Eight years in the making, The Get Up Kids’ new full-length album, Problems was well worth waiting for. Sonically, Problems picks up right where the band’s last full-length album, There Are Rules left off in 2011 and feels like a perfect continuation of their 2018 EP, Kicker, but emotionally and lyrically, they’ve grown tremendously. It’s exactly what die-hard fans want from a band that they’ve been listening to for over twenty years – an album that doesn’t sacrifice the sound that they first fell in love with but manages to grow up a bit as well, and The Get Up Kids have pulled it off effortlessly.
Problems is the perfect album for The Get Up Kids to release in 2019, sure to speak to long-time fans who will connect with themes of anxiety, isolation, loss and self-reflection while likely gaining a few new fans along the way as well. Kicking off with the anthemic “Satellite,” Problems doesn’t hold back at all, delivering the band’s typical bright, poppy courses alongside meaningful lyricism. Then, there’s the introspective, “The Problem Is Me,” which is so upbeat and catchy that it’ll be hard to feel sorry for yourself, even if the lyrical content resonates with you.
Where the first few songs are super upbeat, the third track, “Salina” takes on a more melancholy tone, offering a nice balance that can be heard throughout the rest of the album. Songs like the heavily synth driven “Waking Up Alone” will transport you back in time while the more mellow “Common Ground” or even upbeat “Fairweather Friends” showcase a more mature side of The Get Up Kids.
As The Get Up Kids have grown up, so has their music, but without sacrificing what makes it special and unique. The great thing about Problems is the band’s ability to balance serious lyrical content with their upbeat, poppy sound in a way that only suits them. High energy choruses and bright synth still spearhead much of the album, perfectly highlighting emotional songs like “Waking Up Alone,” which is about letting go of the things you can’t control, “Satellite,” which touches on anxiety and isolation and even the final piano-driven song, “Your Ghost Is Gone,” which deals with loss. Timeless and perfectly balanced, Problems couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time and will surely leave fans longing for another album from The Get Up Kids soon.
LISTEN TO “The Problem Is Me” or “Waking Up Alone”
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE GET UP KIDS: https://www.facebook.com/TheGetUpKids/