Modern Baseball
You’re Gonna Miss It All
Run For Cover Records – February 11th 2014
By Andrew Patterson (@visiblynoisy)
Find it at: iTunes | Insound | Official Store
7.5
Modern Baseball’s second full-length expands on the heartfelt pop-punk sound they established on their debut LP Sports. For existing fans, You’re Gonna Miss It All somehow manages to tighten up the group’s harmonies and rhythms without losing the beautiful haphazard feelings and song structure that make them so endearing. If you are a complete stranger to the Philadelphia four-piece, then imagine the intimate, small town “aw shucks” lyricism of The Weakerthans but with a little more energy and a sharper edge. In fact, vocalist/guitarist Brendan Lukens sounds quite similar to folk-punk hero John K. Samson and there’s no better example of this than “Going To Bed Now” and even other material that could have easily been taken from a bin of B-sides from the Left And Leaving era.
With the recent explosion of young talent from the American Midwest to the East Coast, it’s refreshing to hear a group pair their ability to play the hell out of their instruments with a measured balance of shredding and breathing room. “Two Good Things” demonstrates the Modern Baseball’s versatility while “Broken Cash Machine” rolls out at an unrelenting pace that’ll have you wondering if Lukens will stop to inhale or pass out. “Timmy Bowers” boasts lovely, understated guitar work reminiscent of Owen and American Football, and it adds to the rest of the album by enforcing enough sonic variety to keep you hooked on every transition. The range is what makes You’re Gonna Miss It All come across as Modern Baseball’s wistful celebration of youth. It’s rambunctious – full of parking lot poetry and unwashed integrity – and frankly, this is what you’d expect from a memorable modern punk record.
Listen: “Broken Cash Machine”, “Your Graduation”, “Two Good Things” || Watch: “Rock Bottom”