The news that
the Get Up Kids were reuniting to go on tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their landmark emo-pop classic
Something to Write Home About was exciting enough. That they found the time and desire to hit the studio was potentially just as thrilling. When the band hung it up in 2005 due to all sorts of internal conflicts, it really seemed like there would never be another
Get Up Kids record. Now that they’ve done it, the question becomes does it add to their legacy or detract from it? The verdict falls strongly in the former camp. The 2010 EP
Simple Science may not break any new ground for the band and it may not measure up to their best, most powerful work, but it does deliver four tracks that, for the most part, have all the passion, hooks, and emotion of vintage
Kids records. Certainly
Matthew Pryor's vocals sound as brutally honest as ever, and the rest of the band sounds like they are having a blast playing together again. The only new wrinkles are the stripped-down production, which most likely stems from the group releasing the record themselves, and the increased reliance of atmospheric keyboards that give the songs a spacy sound. These are most evident on the closing track "How You’re Bound," which sounds like it was turned inside-out and dipped in reverb.
Simple Science won’t take the place of
Something in the hearts of
Get Up Kids fans, but it’s a welcome comeback all the same.