The Get Up Kids

Guilt Show (Vagrant)
By Lauren Bussard

The Get Up Kids have certainly come a long way since seven years ago when these five kids from Kansas City put out a spunky little record called Four Minute Mile. And they’ve definitely come even further from 2002’s On a Wire, their risk-taking and reflective third record that had kids everywhere wondering if they would ever again return with a record that showcased not only their intense emotional songwriting, but also the fun, sweet power-pop and frustrated punk beats that first got them noticed.

Well, kiddies, wonder no longer… Guilt Show is a perfect mix of the reckless pop thrill of The Get Up Kids’ classics and the subtle shifts in tone, tempo, and style that defined On a Wire. And the Kids’ fourth album deals with heavy themes like rejection (“The One You Want”), betrayal, and the occasional hypocrisy of religion (“Holy Roman”), but with a sure hand and a melodic pop undercurrent.

The bottom line is that I, being a devoted Get Up Kids fan, love this album. But I know they’ve really done an amazing job when they’ve won over my ever-cynical, metal-loving Editor. His “Yeah, OK, this album’s a lot better…” is perhaps the highest praise the Kids could ever receive.
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