Emily's Army, a pop-punk quartet based out of the Bay Area, released their debut album, “Don’t Be A Dick”, last year. Fans were pleasantly surprised by an array of solidly composed punk songs, and left a new fan base of listeners awaiting their next move.
“Lost At Seventeen” is the next chapter for Emily’s Army, and what a chapter it is. A wide variety of musical stylings pulsate throughout this record. Picture if you will, the following scenario: It’s summer. You’re driving to the beach. The windows are down. It’s bright and sunny. You’re with your best friends.
Now examine the next scenario: you’re at a local punk show. It’s sweaty. The venue capacity is less than five hundred and it's packed. There’s uncontrollable moshing. You’re ears are ringing for days afterward. “Lost At Seventeen” works perfectly with both, providing a soundtrack to life filled with pounding drums, crooning guitars, thick bass lines, and powerful vocals.
The lyrics were a particular element that stood out to me on this record. From tackling ideas about the state of our nation (“I Am The President”), disagreeing with radical philosophers like Frederich Nietzsche (“Gubermensch”) and presenting their views on how our culture has become so wrapped up in technology (“Digital Drugs”), “Lost At Seventeen” covers a vast universe of topics. The album’s title track delves even deeper into the minds of lyricists/co-vocalists Cole and Max Becker, covering one of the central ideas of the album: growing up.
If you thought “Don’t Be A Dick” was just the beginning for Emily’s Army, consider that a warm-up. “Lost At Seventeen” proves to truly be the start of many outstanding things to come for the band.