Guilt Show

Whether you call it emo, post-punk, or music for pimple-poppers, don’t dismiss the Get Up Kids’ earnest, lovelorn rock just yet. Whether bashing through a 90-second power-pop sprint like “Man of Conviction” or dragging the Cure through the Midwest on “Sympathy,” the Kansas City quintet gets a lot of things right on its new record. In fact, Guilt Show’s first half is nearly flawless: a flurry of unshakable guitar riffs and E Street–worthy piano banging highlighted by singer Matthew Pryor’s strained, passionate vocals. The tunes drag a little on the second half, but unlike many of their soppy emo compadres, the Kids rarely let their heartbreak drown their flair. Their “woe is me” is at least consistently delivered amid a hook-filled frenzy of guitars, making Guilt Show not guilty…of sucking.