The last two decades encompass most of third-wave emo and its subsequent spinoffs. This period featured bands like The Used, Taking Back Sunday, and My Chemical Romance, all the way up to Joyce Manor (fourth-wave) and the more recent Origami Angel (fifth-wave).

The ever-evolving emo scene had some breakout artists, but many of these bands and their albums remain cult favorites. Here are my picks for beloved emo albums that never get old.

‘Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home’ — The Newfound Interest In Connecticut

The Newfound Interest In Connecticut was a band of five high schoolers from Toronto who formed up in 1999. Their debut album, Tell Me About the Long Dark Path Home, dropped in 2005, after which they disappeared. But in those six years before their disappearance, they gained momentum from school talent shows to opening for Arcade Fire. They also worked on this masterpiece of a genre-blending emo album.

The album consists of three sets, each comprising three connected songs, concluding with the standalone track “The Arctic Circle.” These tracks are composed of intricate math rock instrumentals, adolescent-like vocals that scream and break with emotion, crescendoes of sound that then retreat into quiet contemplation, and field recordings from a nighttime walk in the woods. Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home gained cult status in the emo scene for its raw nerves, exploratory lyrics, and unmistakable air of youth, confounding and relatable.

‘Just Got Back From The Discomfort—We’re Alright’ — Brave Little Abacus

Released in 2010 as Brave Little Abacus’ second and final album, Just Got Back From The Discomfort—We’re Alright gained traction in the emo scene for its stripped-back approach to recording. The band recorded at home and often experimented with sound design and self-producing. Their process was unconventional, but maybe not by Midwest emo standards. (However, the samples of Malcolm In The Middle dialogue were an interesting choice.)

At the time of its release, Just Got Back didn’t perform well. Initially released on Bandcamp, it didn’t even break 200 downloads at first, according to vocalist Adam Demirjian in a 2020 podcast appearance. When the band broke up in 2012, people began to take notice of the unique album, and it gained a cult following. A retrospective review on Sputnikmusic called it “the most underrated, underappreciated classic in all of emo.” Still, the review made sure to note the difficulty of “trying to argue that an album that almost no one has heard is a classic.”

‘American Football’ — American Football

So, yes, I realize 20 years ago was 2005, and American Football technically came out in 1999. Still, its influence stretched well into the early 2000s, earning it a spot on this list. American Football holds a special place in the hearts of longtime emo fans, as do their three eponymous albums. LP1, as it’s sometimes called, is probably the most beloved of them all. Despite critical success and frequent airplay on college radio stations, American Football decided to break up shortly after the album’s release. Frontman Mike Kinsella has explained that the band always knew they would be short-lived. They just weren’t that serious about a primarily college side project. When classes came to an end and the members moved to different cities, American Football was no more.

Still, LP1 gained cult status as the years went on. Critics and fans alike consider it one of the most important emo albums of the era and attribute it to the rise of fourth-wave emo in the late 2000s to 2010s. American Football would later reunite to release two more albums, but LP1 remains their most influential and highly regarded work in the emo scene.

‘Translating The Name’ — Saosin

Saosin released their debut EP, Translating The Name, in 2003. Later, they went through a vocalist change and developed a slightly different sound. But their debut is still held in high regard by longtime fans in the post-hardcore emo scene. Out of all the albums on this list, Translating The Name is the most polished, which is saying something; it’s often considered the roughest of Saosin’s work. Nevertheless, the album represents a specific time in second-wave emo, when social media didn’t really exist, there was no YouTube, and Saosin were the masters of building anticipation.

The nature of the internet in those days lent itself to message boards, MySpace, and email newsletters. Saosin was great at building a niche following online in the early days. Additionally, their live shows had a unique energy that kept people coming back. A 2003 review by Jhonn Thomassen on Lambgoat praised Saosin for their embrace of hardcore and screamo. These elements were much more prevalent in Saosin than in many other emo bands at the time. While the review does start with the disclaimer, “I have to admit that I dislike the whole ’emo hardcore’ sound immensely,” the verdict was generally positive. Or, at least, begrudgingly accepting. Saosin would eventually grow and change after vocalist Anthony Green left to form Circa Survive. Naturally, this caused a distinct shift in the band’s sound.

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