This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Maybe it’s about time The Get Up Kids thought about changing their name to The Grown Up Kids. And not a moment too soon.
With their last album, 2002’s On A Wire, these Kansas City emo-popsters made their first attempt to squirm out of their genre straitjacket by toning down the Superchunky guitars, turning up the pop hooks and venturing into more eclectic terrain. And, as often happens in cases like these, all their effort was met with disdain by the purists and apathy by the masses. But that was then; now, bands like Jimmy Eat World have brought emo kicking and screaming into the mainstream. And the Get Ups are poised to strike with their impressive fourth disc Guilt Show, their most unabashedly accessible album yet. Brimming with sweet melodies, layered harmonies, singalong choruses and whoo-hoo-hoo backup vocals, these 13 smartly crafted and sparklingly produced pop gems oughta be streaming out of a radio near you any second now. But the Kids haven’t totally sacrificed content for commerciality — there are still enough buzzsaw riffs and sonic experiments to put off Mom, Dad and your little sister. Granted, the emo purists will probably scream sellout once again. Let them. The Get Up Kids have nothing to feel guilty about.
