To many, the word ‘emo’ conjures images (or memories) of late nights on 2007 Myspace, hundreds of dollars spent at Hot Topic, and groups like My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, and Fall Out Boy.

A lesser known fact about the genre, however, is that it existed long before its short mainstream peak and continues to exist long after. It started in the 80s as a reaction to hardcore punk’s increasingly hypermasculine image, breeding less violent (but still hardcore) bands like Rites of Spring and Dag Nasty. This eventually led to a wave of nerdy, math-rock inspired bands like Cap’n Jazz in the 90s, who were too sensitive for shaved heads and combat boots but too not-15 for the side swept hair and eyeshadow that marked the 2000s emo craze.

These days, emo bands are something of an amalgamation – partly a continuation of that mathy 90s aesthetic, partly inspired by the 2010s indie rock boom, tinged with elements of the pop punk bands we all loved between 1995 and 2005, and often seasoned with anywhere from a pinch to a hefty handful of self-deprecating meme culture.

Enter Mom Jeans. This California band’s debut LP Best Buds was one of my favorite rock albums of the last few years, thanks to its solid performances, catchy riffs, and general conveyance that the group saw the humor in their melodrama. This was evident not only in worth-a-chuckle track names like ‘Edward 40hands’ and ‘Vape Nation’, but also in the sarcastic, Goofy-esque croon that frontman Eric Butler employed to sing his suburban blues. These endearing aspects, combined with genuinely good songwriting, shot the band to the top of the American emo scene and had the community eagerly awaiting their next release.

Now, exactly two years after the release of ‘Best Buds’, the wait is over. Puppy Love is a 10-track followup that doesn’t stray too far from the band’s winning formula, but still manages to bring some new ideas, both musically and thematically, to the table.

Because I like this band and want to get to the part where I say good things, I’m going to get the negative stuff out of the way right now. The first one has nothing to do with the music but honestly bothered me the most – they tried too hard with the track names. The clever titles on Best Buds came off as organic, like the group was just using their sense of humor to throw some funny names on their sad songs. But on Puppy Love, nearly every track name is an attempt at a joke, with specimens like near death fail comp (must watch til end), now THIS is podracing, and PICKLE BART (I really hope this Rick and Morty reference was ironic) inducing audible groans upon my first reading of the list.

But as far as gripes that actually concern the music go, my main issue is that some of the songs toward the beginning just aren’t that interesting. The intro track is alright, bringing the unique, strummy guitar work and unique vocals we know and love in from the get-go, but the next two tracks, sponsor me tape and glamorous, were a slog for me. ‘Sponsor me’ starts with the same two chords repeated for almost 40 seconds, which I found completely unnecessary, and aside from a cool proggy section toward the end not much else about it excited me. And while ‘Glamorous’ opens with a catchy guitar melody, it just sounds a little too similar to stuff we’ve already heard from the band to hold its own on the new record.

After these first few tracks, however, the album picks up significantly. I left my towel at my friend’s house and then they moved parts 1 and 2 are by far my favorite tracks on the album, employing a tasty guitar lead that has a bit more tonal complexity than their previous work (but not in a forced way) and taking it through two tracks – the first a slow sadjam™ and the second a faster, punkier conclusion.

Performances in general are improved from the already-high standard set by Best Buds – the addition of second guitarist Bart Starr allows for more versatile leads, including some almost power metal-esque harmonies on you cant eat cats Kevin, and Butler’s singing, though still retaining that tongue-in-cheek character, is infinitely more solid and accurate than it was two years ago. The band stays tight and punchy through myriad tempo changes and strategic pause-hits which add great emphasis to the more jammy moments, and, as some of the material they released between this and Best Buds hinted at, they get a little more aggressive at times (such as in the intro to PICKLE BART).

Lyrically, Puppy Love more-or-less retains the melodramatic but light-hearted nature of their previous work, although there are a few points where darker and more serious subjects like suicide and self-harm are touched on (particularly on glamorous). There are also some kinda clever lines here and there, such as ‘Need to know that my body isn’t just a hollow shell/to fill with Marlboro lights and unethically sourced meats’ on season 9 ep 2-3 and ‘It’s time to get some help from someone who’s not you or my parents’ on Jon bong jovi, which stand out among the somewhat-repetitive lyrics.

To be honest, I wasn’t super sold on this album upon my first listen. A friend had recently turned me onto Snail Mail’s absolutely incredible debut album, which essentially scratches the same itches but in a more artsy and poetic manner, and going from there to this more simplistic effort felt like a downgrade initially. But having spent a bit more time with Puppy Love, I’m remembering that Mom Jeans has something going for them that few bands in their arena do: they’re fun. The songs on Puppy Love are fun, catchy, and 110% boppable, and while the lyrics may be very on-the-nose, they’re like that by design; the band’s entire aesthetic would be ruined if Butler was dressing his bleeding-heart quips in a more poetic veil. Though it may not be flawless and it may not blow Best Buds out of the water, Puppy Love is still a very enjoyable album which shows growth from the band without abandoning their roots. I haven’t checked r/emo since the album came out, but I’m hoping their fans (and stans) see it the same way.

Bonus: Here’s a picture of me looking like a total dork with the drummer and frontman last summer. Their shows rock, go see them live!

Rating: 7.7/10

Does it slap?: It’s a slap, a bop, and a groove

Drink to pair with: A Bud