They might not have even graduated from college yet, but Modern Baseball don’t need degrees to impress us. After the cult success of their 2012 debut album Sports, the Philadelphia quartet had a lot to live up to, but they’ve surpassed those expectations with incredible ease. You’re Gonna Miss It All‘s unique brand of indie punk and refreshingly honest lyrics will catapult Modern Baseball far beyond many of their more experienced counterparts to take the spotlight.
“Fine, Great” opens the album with an uplifting, foot-tapping beat that gracefully transforms into a stomping acoustic crescendo, and you can immediately tell the album will only continue to grow on you. If you don’t believe it, just tune into the next track. There comes a time in every band’s career when they have to sing about staying home alone on a Friday night, and Modern Baseball do it in style with “Broken Cash Machine”. Guitarist Jake Ewald’s soaring riffs interlaced with youthful lyrics prove the band can pull off a full-blown rock song just as well as an acoustic one.
A little more laid back, “Rock Bottom” is a perfect song to skate to, with an explosive chorus that will make it your new favorite kick-push soundtrack. And “Apartment” further proves Modern Baseball don’t mind taking it slow – at first. What starts off as a staccato, melancholy ballad suddenly blossoms into a huge rock anthem about tortured love. If you’re all about those awkward moments, this is the band for you. Or if you want just plain gritty, “The Old Gospel Choir” has sky-high riffs that leave this song with its head in the clouds. Vocalist Brendan Lukens’ cleverly cynical lyrics like “Sharp as a tack but in the sense that you’re not smart, just a prick” add a unique touch that sets it apart from your usual breakup song.
Modern Baseball get in touch with their country side in “Notes”, an endearingly sweet drop of innocence all about those high school crushes. Continuing the youthful tone, it’s gang woah’s galore in “Charlie Black”, with lyrics so relatable they feel like they could have been pulled right out of your own head. Despite the song’s darkly introspective words, the upbeat melody adds a desperately hopeful charm.
Slowing it down with “Tommy Bowers”, this little acoustic number provides a refreshing respite from the album’s high-octane pace. Keeping up the acoustic theme but with more of a kick, “Going to Bed Now” is a riotous surge of semi-organized chaos that is guaranteed to be hugely popular at the band’s shows.
But Modern Baseball aren’t even thinking about calling it a night yet at this point in the album. “Your Graduation” is an angsty pop punk banger perfectly complimented by a vocal appearance from drummer Sean Huber. Now that you’re all settled in for a good old pop punk session, clap along to the next track, “Two Good Things”. The line “Walking in circles and playing high school songs” pretty much sums up this band, but there’s nothing wrong with writing songs that every kid can relate to, and the Philly punks certainly aren’t walking in circles – they’re headed straight for success.
Bringing the album to a sleepy close is “Pothole”, but it’s definitely not one to skip. The acoustic ballads are where Modern Baseball are at their most raw; you can hear the pain and tenderness as clearly as the chord progressions. This is the song that will make even the hardest of hearts fall in love with them.
You’re Gonna Miss It All raises the bar of indie punk effortlessly. This is a band who aren’t afraid to show off their flaws, which only makes them all the more charming. They’re just here to make music about what they know – exactly the kind of attitude the scene needs.
