1. "Sports" - Modern Baseball

This is a somewhat new one for me, but it's so good that I thought it deserved a spot on this list.

Modern Baseball is new-ish band, forming in 2011 and going on hiatus in 2017. They fall into the pop-punk/emo genre, but their sound is unique enough to make them stand out. Some songs are slow and mainly acoustic, some are fast paced and angry, and some are calming and thought provoking.

Most of the lyrics pertain to women or depression or loneliness, but hey, it's relatable! The main vocalist has a somewhat whiny, raspy voice, while the backing has a bit more gruff and harsh tone in his voice. The two play well off each other, which could be hit or miss when you have two vocalists.

Stand-out songs are "Re-Do", "Tears Over Beers", and "See Ya, Sucker".

Bonus song is "It's Cold Out Here". My personal favorite song by the guys, but it's not on the album I listed.

2. "Love Is Dead" - CHVRCHES

HA! If you've been following me, you probably expected me to throw another dumb emo album up! But I didn't! That was a curveball, right?

Anyway, CHVRCHES is a group I wouldn't normally listen to. They all into the pop/synthwave genre, but goddamn is this some good stuff. I'm trying to expand my very limited taste in music, and this group made the cut. I hardly ever listen to them outside of driving or if I'm at a party, but they are excellent in those settings.

The vocalist has a beautiful voice that compliments that winding synths and deep bass beats found within the songs. The lyrics aren't anything super special, but they are certainly more thought out and produced than other groups in the genre.

Stand-out songs are "Graffiti", "Never Say Die", and "Wonderland".

3. "American Football (LP1)" - American Football

Here we go, diving right back into the all too familiar stuff.

This album man, this album. Some people think it's incredibly sad and kind of ruins your mood, which they aren't wrong into that. But for me, this LP just calms me down and makes me think about everything. It's slow, it's sad, it's emo.

These guys put this album out in 1999 while they were all in college. After graduation, they split and that was that. Recently however, they have reunited and released a brand new album, which you should totally support and check out.

But these guys definitely play more to the slower and classical side of emo, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's almost impossible for me to really describe their sound because I don't have anyone to compare them too. Just please throw this album on and relax for me.

Stand-out songs are "Never Meant", "The Summer Ends", and "For Sure".

4. "Never Hungover Again" - Joyce Manor

We continue the emo/pop-punk train with Joyce Manor's standout album.

Now these guys are wild. This album is about fifteen minutes long and is all killer, no filler. Some songs are fast paced and angry, some are slower, and one sounds completely different from the rest of the album. If you like more of a punk sound, these dudes are for you.

The vocalist has a voice that can transition from smooth singing to harsh screaming in an instant, while the backing has a higher pitched, whiny voice. Once again, they compliment each other almost perfectly. This is a perfect album if you just want something quick and dirty.

Stand-out songs are "Christmas Card", "End of the Summer", and "Catalina Fight Song".

5. "Tell All Your Friends" - Taking Back Sunday

There we go, an old school jam made it in. I'm sorry for anyone who was hoping I would be original for once.

What's there even to say? Taking Back Sunday is a classic emo band from the 2000's with one of the best debut albums of the era. Melding together the sound of old emo with the (at the time) new, you've got something that withstands the test of time perfectly.

The lyrics are layered excellently with the main and backing vocalists, and many songs follow the soft-loud-soft recipe. Chances are you have probably heard of these guys before as they exploded in popularity around 2005, but hey! If you didn't here you go!

Stand out songs are "Bike Scene", "There's No 'I' In Team" "Timberwolves At New Jersey", "You're So Last Summer" and "Cute Without The 'E'". But seriously, listen to every single song from the album. It's such a banger.