Half a decade too late to cash in on the emo revival, Macseal must instead release good music if they want anyone to pay attention to them. Luckily for them, and for us, their latest EP Map It Out might be their most promising release yet.
Listening through Map It Out, it might feel like a stretch to call the band emo these days anyway. They’ve dropped most of the math Kinsella influence of their first few EPs in favor of a catchier, more straightforward indie rock sound. It suits them well, perhaps better than their old style; it calls to mind fellow Long Island rockers Oso Oso at times, drawing on the same early 2000s pop-punk and filtering it through a fifth-wave (is that where we’re at now?) emo lens. Nowhere is this clearer than on the highlight “Golden Hour.” It sounds like a deep cut off of Northstar’s Pollyanna, a wonderful slice of nostalgic, poppy indie rock.
Macseal’s been an exciting band to watch since their debut, and Map It Out is their third straight home run. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the band puts out an LP; perhaps it’s part of their charm that their music always comes in quick bursts. Or maybe they’ll knock it out of the park a fourth time in a row.