VMP Magazine

The word “revival” in this genre seems artificial because it is. The truth is, emo never died, it just had a heart attack. There were significantly less people making this music with any sort of consistency from 2002-2010, but it never died out. I’m a natural cynic and maybe the last person to advise on the use of the term, “emo revival,” but in writing this list, I thought that maybe it’s not the quantity of the music but the actual aspects of the art itself. I still don’t like saying that term, but I’m more at peace with it now.

The act of listening to records, for me, has always been “emo.” It’s about isolating myself, sinking into emotions for 40 minutes to an hour, and thinking about what I’m taking in. What’s a better way for a dude to spend his time alone listening to other dudes sing about being alone? If that’s what you’re into, these are the 10 best records for doing exactly that.