The band has released three albums since their debut. 9Courtesy of Triple Crown Records)

Orlando based emo quintet You Blew It! have recently released their third studio album “Abendrot.” “Abendrot” loosely translates to “sunset.”

This album is a transition for the band according to vocalist Tanner Jones who said that the band took a more minimalist approach in terms of instrumentals instead of an extravagant approach like their last two records. This album has already received great criticism from both music experts and fans. The album is unlike any sound You Blew It! has produced. Evan Weiss from Into It. Over It. produced this album, which helped create a softer vibe to the album.

There is something so somber about their first single “Greenwood.” The lyrics are a bit darker than listeners are used to. “I watch lives go by a dash in stone to summarize.” Jones sings in such a soft tone with a sense of regret. The melody of the song is slow almost like a drifting in the wind. By the end of the song Jones is nearly whispering, “I’ll keep trying to find your ghost in here” while still chanting, “I watch lives go by” the lyrics intertwined to provide a rollercoaster of emotion throughout his voice.

“Like myself,” the second track on the album, is so raw in lyrics, yet so powerful. The guitar riffs are soft but the lyrics are almost outspoken. Very calmly Jones is chanting, “My brain just can’t contain the chemicals it’s made, my frame just can’t contain the chemicals I take.” The words come out almost as a cry for help, a small scream. You Blew It! is known for their raspy and harsh vocals and this track provides a small sense of that. This track is one of the closest to their old songs that this album provides.

Towards the end of the album, track “Arrowhead” is almost reminiscent of a skeleton. The first half of the song is so bare in instrumentals like it is merely bones. The lyrics are repeated throughout the song but by the end it becomes a chant of “there’s got to be something wrong with me” Jones’s raspy vocals finally come into full effect which is something the listeners crave. The tune of this track is almost as if in the beginning he can’t accept his fate or emotion but by the end he has accepted it and realized that is is okay. The minimalist guitar riff at the end provides a sense of closing for the track and album as a whole.

“Kerning” takes advantage of using only a piano to create a soft but beautiful melody. The track was both short and simple but still created an overall feel for the album. The use of the piano is almost as if they are just pressing a random key at a time with nothing specific in mind. “The way we operate or disintegrate its glimmer blinded me but I never saw you leave” gives listeners a sense of an emotional journey along the song. Mixed with the simplest piano playing these lyrics come out so raw and pure. This reveals a softer side of the band than what they have previously released.

Overall, this certainly is not an album for everyone but does stand out as a beautiful record nonetheless. Fans generally prefer the harsher side to You Blew It! which contains elements of pop-punk. For the band, this is certainly not the best release, but as a stand-alone album it absolutely delivers.