You Blew It!
Keep Doing What You’re Doing
Topshelf Records
Rating: 9/10
Keep Doing What You’re Doing is the sophomore record from Orlando, Florida’s You Blew It!; an excellent follow up to their 2012 release Grow Up, Dude. In between albums the band has vastly improved their sound, becoming a more cohesive unit and creating what is one of the more impressive sophomore albums I’ve heard in years. More often than not a band’s sophomore release tends to be seen as “ good, but not as good as the first record.” This is definitely not the case with Keep Doing What You’re Doing as I find it to be the superior record and if the band follows the advice of their own record’s namesake they’ll be a major player in the scene in the years to come.
The band is less chaotic this time around but not at the cost of any of their energy or emotion; a more focused frenzy if you will. Overall everything sounds cleaner but not too over polished; still rough on the edges but definitely more accessible than previous efforts. I would like to think this is due in part to their producer, Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It. as well as 10 other bands. The guy has so many successful projects going that he definitely knows how to buckle down and get things done in the studio. If possible I would love to see them work with him again on something in the future, heck let’s see a split between the parties in question.
It’s an album that really gets you thinking, a nice little record to contemplate life over while going on a long drive at night. You know those drives where you kind of hate every decision you’ve ever made but then the record helps you deal with it and tells you that it’s all ok. Just raw, emotional lyrics that are just what you need to help you get through some tough times but are still enjoyable even when things are A-OK. I hope that made sense to at least one person out there.
Keep Doing What You’re Doing has definitely set the standard of what to expect from You Blew It! from here on out. They’re out on tour now with The Front Bottoms so pick up the record if you can catch them at a show. Whether you can check them out on this run or not pick up this record. It’s pretty killer.