Posted on: September 11, 2022 Posted by: Glacier Staff Comments: 0

Photo by Rosie Finnegan

You’re sitting in the home you grew up in, watching TV while your grandma heats up a Kid Cuisine in the microwave for you. It is the early 2000s, and your brain is just beginning to form the ability to hold onto memories of backyard birthday parties and playing catch with your cousins.

And then the daydream ends, and you find yourself at 19 longing for those simple joys. 

Rosie Finnegan

Opinion Editor

“Theresa,” the new EP by The Front Bottoms, calls to mind that feeling. Though the band is out of New Jersey, it is usually considered part of the “Midwestern emo” genre, and this new album fits the bill. It creates a potent feeling of nostalgia, possibly stemming in part from the fact that these are old songs that have not yet been released.

The band was formed in 2007. After the lead singer, Brian Sella, finished college, he teamed up with childhood friend Mathew Uychich and Uychich’s little brother Brian. They released their first two albums and an EP and began playing in local New Jersey venues. Their first professionally produced album came out in September 2011, and they have been releasing new material every couple of years since then.

Theresa EP by The Front Bottoms

For me, “Theresa” was one of the most highly anticipated EPs of the year, and it has delivered on every facet. 

When the first track on the album, “More Than It Hurts You,” was released back in June, I knew I was in for a ride come September. This song perfectly captures the feeling of being a little bit lost in life, a theme that contrasts perfectly with the more upbeat sound of the instrumentals. It is almost a reflection on childhood and learning to become okay with what you have gone through and what you will continue to go through, despite wanting better for your past and future self. In short, it is about hope.

I saw a tweet once about the lead singer, Brian Sella, not having the greatest singing voice, but that makes his music even better because the lyrics are delivered out of pure emotion. In fact, that idea pretty much sums up the appeal of this EP. Musically, it may not be the most groundbreaking, but the lyrics feel like they were written for every Midwestern kid who grew up hoping for the world, myself included. 

The final song, “The Winds,” also pulls out memories of a Midwestern suburban childhood, putting into words the abstract conflict between wanting to get out of your hometown but feeling too connected to leave. The second verse begins with the lyrics, “They say that I can leave, just to let them know / But nobody wants to be the first to go.” These lines remind me of so many conversations I’ve had with friends and family about wanting to go out and start our own lives but feeling like we would be leaving behind too much if we were to go through with it. 

Overall, this EP is everything I could have wanted and more, and I think that a lot of fans, and even new listeners, will connect to these songs.

If you’re looking to reconnect with your childhood and reminisce on the good ol’ days when all you had to worry about was what you were bringing for show and tell, then put some headphones on, queue this EP and go stare up at the stars.

Moraine Valley