I had almost made peace with the fact that The Format would likely never make music again. The statement put out by the band on February 4, 2008 hit like a gut-punch from one of my favorite indie bands of all time, and now, almost 18 years to the exact day of the indefinite hiatus, The Format have returned. The roadmap that led to The Format making new music featured a few detours. fun. had formed shortly after the announced hiatus and would make a household name of vocalist Nate Ruess, and earn him his first Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the unstoppable “We Are Young.” The Format’s other half, Sam Means, would release a solo album called 10 Songs (which is definitely worth a listen if you never checked it out), while he watched his bandmate blossom in fun., and Nate’s own solo album entitled Grand Romantic. Much like the Interventions + Lullabies song of “On Your Porch,” Sam Means and Nate Ruess have always been drawn to making music together. The lyrics of, “So, now here I sit in a hotel off of Sunset / My thoughts bounce off of Sam’s guitar / And that’s the way it’s been / Ever since we were kids, but now / Now we’ve got something to prove,” feel a bit more emphatic now that The Format have reunited and released their third studio album of Boycott Heaven. Nate mentioned that he started to teach himself guitar during the pandemic, which seemed to unlock a key ingredient in the catalyst that brought him back to Sam. Shortly after the band had planned to reunite for a few returning shows, they re-discovered their love of creating art together, and I’m so happy The Format are back in full swing now.

At the proverbial heart of the record everything about this sophomore full-length is actualized in the form of one solitary line. Let me explain: Midway through the album sits the title track, “Dog Problems,” and midway through the song, the music gently wilts and Nate sings, “Can you hear me? Are you listening? This is the sound of my heart breaking and I hope it’s entertaining. Because for me, it’s a bitch. Was it worth it when you slept with him? Did you get it all out of your system?” If there was ever a defining moment in what is sure to become The Format’s opus, this is it.

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