The critical reception to the sophomore album by Hawthorne Heights was anything but kind. But did this band that stormed onto the scene with The Silence in Black and White, and the emo classic of “Ohio Is For Lovers”, really deserve the hate that came from the release of If Only You Were Lonely? In my opinion, not by a long shot. While I can see why some writers took it upon themselves to write scathing reviews based on the album’s song titles like “Where Can I Stab Myself In The Ears” and “We Are So Last Year”, I feel there is still a charm and magic to If Only You Were Lonely. The set was released on Victory Records 20 years ago, and the promotion of the record was preceded by two singles in “This Is Who We Are” and the massively popular “Saying Sorry” that would lead to Hawthorne Heights’ highest charting album to date (#3 on the Billboard 200). The album would be the band’s final one with rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Casey Calvert, who tragically passed away in November of 2007. The critics who panned If Only You Were Lonely were largely tuned out by Hawthorne Heights’ fans, and the LP was certified Gold by the RIAA by March of 2016. While Hawthorne Heights seemed to be an easy target for criticism of the emo genre, it’s hard to not admit that If Only You Were Lonely was an important record in the development of the band.