ALBUM REVIEW: Double Bind – Excuse Me, Who Are You?

American mid-west emo band EXCUSE ME, WHO ARE YOU? change up their style – but not their sound – on their debut album Double Bind. The eight-track album follows on from their first EP, 2022’s About That Beer I Owe Ya, and discusses everything from grief to past relationships. Known for their emotional lyrics and energetic live shows, the band have put that energy into a debut album that is bound to make you both dance and cry at the same time. 

Opener EMWAY? (Excuse Me, Who Are You?) starts off with a gentle acoustic opening to lull you in before spitting in your face with harsh vocals. The intro track smoothly transitions into Maybe That Truck Hit Me…And This Is All A Dream, whose gentle instrumentals contrast with the vocals. Yet, the album has that DIY sound that makes it feel raw and rough around the edges. Although the album itself is very short, each song does not sound rushed, despite most of them being under three minutes. The band let each song flow into the next one, which gives the album a coherent sound.

It isn’t perfect though, as it does fall into a pattern of tracks having an acoustic start before going full throttle, even though some songs, like fifth track Volcan Balls, do manage to avoid this by being entirely upbeat and energetic. Another deviation is the interlude <3, which is an acoustic song with some non-audible dialogue in the background that flows into the penultimate and title track – a heavy emo song that teeters into the punk sound. Whilst it is commendable that the band do eventually move away from the acoustic-into-emo sound, closer Let’s End All Of This falls back into old habits, although it does switch the acoustic start for a mid-tempo rock one.

Overall, if you’re looking for an album that is full of upbeat heavy emo, then Double Bind is the one for you. Whilst it does resort to a bit of a predictable formula at points, the band’s DIY approach to the album, along with the rough and raw sound, compensate for that. It is also still early days for the band, so they still have time to perfect their craft, and by already attempting to mix things up as the album progresses, there are signs here that EXCUSE ME, WHO ARE YOU? could one day become something special.

Rating: 7/10

Double Bind is set for release on May 17th via Thumbs Up Records.

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