Jimmy Eat World’s seventh album Invented turned 10 last month. It’s not the most glamorous of the band’s records, but it holds a special place in my heart—read my essay about Invented, underdog favorites, and the significance of being there over at The Alternative.

It Holds Up: Jimmy Eat World’s “Invented” Turns 10

A few words on Matt Berninger’s solo album, which is exactly what you’d expect it to be but still makes for a pretty nice listen. You can read my review over on Slant.

Review: Matt Berninger’s Serpentine Prison Is an Easily Digestible Solo Debut

Across eleven tracks that traverse and defy easy genre classifications and burst at the seams with creativity, originality, and heart, the debut album from Bartees Strange signals the arrival of a visionary songwriter.

Read my review of Live Forever, out this Friday, on The Alternative:

Album Review: Bartees Strange — “Live Forever”

Sufjan Stevens is without a doubt one of our most talented and creative songwriters, but his latest doesn’t quite live up to his high standards. I wrote about why for Slant:

Review: Sufjan Stevens’s The Ascension Aims for Great Heights but Often Gets Lost

I wrote about the new Barely Civil album and the ways in which we talk about and engage with emo music. You can read that over at The Alternative:

Album Review: Barely Civil — “I’ll Figure This Out”

I wrote about Philadelphia musician Greg Mendez and his new music video for The Alternative. Check it out:

Video Premiere: Greg Mendez — “Long Division”

Laura Stevenson is one of my favorite songwriters. To celebrate the recent reissue of her 2011 album Sit Resist, I wrote about her ten best songs for The Alternative.

This Playlist Hurts: The 10 Best Laura Stevenson Songs

I wrote about Young Jesus, who continue to expand their breadth and interrogate the universe on their new Welcome to Conceptual Beach. Here it is, for The Alternative:

Album Review: Young Jesus — Welcome to Conceptual Beach

I heard that the nice folks in Buffalo emo band Del Paxton are avid runners, so I called them up to explain to me, a non-athlete, 1. what running is and 2. why they like it so much.

Oh, and we also talked about their very good new songs. Here it is, for The Alternative: 

Interview: Del Paxton Keeps on Running

Some words about Bright Eyes, who will return after nine years next week with Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, which picks up and carries on right where they left off. Check it out over on Slant: 

Review: Bright Eyes’s Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was