Something to Write Home About arrived through Vagrant Records in September 1999. The Get Up Kids had built a following through touring and smaller releases. Here, the two guitars and James Dewees' keyboards gave their plainspoken songs a fuller sound.
Straight Into Holiday
Holiday starts as though you've walked into the middle of an argument. Action & Action, Valentine and Ten Minutes keep returning to distance and bad timing, but the bright arrangements stop the record from wallowing.
What James Dewees Brought
Dewees' keyboards carry their own melodies and ease the transitions. On I'll Catch You, they change the mood completely. That extra instrument gives the band something you don't get from the guitars alone.
The record helped shape melodic emo at the end of the 1990s, with an influence that carried into pop punk and alternative rock. It still feels awkward and earnest in a way we like. The details are personal, even when a whole room is singing them.
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