In case you’re a pop-punk fan and haven’t come across Meet Me @ The Altar yet, you’re in for a treat and you’re welcome! I get to say that because I started listening to them before they got signed to Fueled By Ramen late 2020, so I guess you could say I’m kind of an OG. Although I suppose I do have okayafrica.com to thank for that. Anyway, Meet Me @ The Altar is a three piece pop-punk (with breakdowns) band located in Florida. When I first heard their track Beyond My Control on their Bandcamp I remember that I was really blown away by 1) the quality of the songs (both in music and production), and 2) Edith Johnson’s amazing voice. The band seems like they have great live-energy without seeming like they’re trying too hard (not unimportant if you’re a pop-punk band) and are just overall a great addition to the pop-punk landscape. Their music reminds me a lot of fans of “old school” pop-punk while they modernized the genre and made it their own at the same time. They’re on several tours over the next couple months, hitting the US and the UK, and you have no idea how much I envy anyone who is able to go see them. Back to the review though, here are my thoughts on Model Citizen by Meet Me @ The Altar.
Feel A Thing covers the realization that something isn’t right and you need help. The song is very high-energy, starting off with a bit of old school video game music (you’ll get what I mean when you hear it) which is a lot of fun, and dives right into the pop-punk pool after that. Mapped Out is about feeling lost and trying to find your way back. The title of Brighter Days (Are Before Us) speaks for itself. That song is followed by Now Or Never, but more on that one later. Never Gonna Change reads to me as a low point in the recovery process (perhaps induced by the events of the previous song? Who knows!). Recovery isn’t a straight line and it sounds to me like Never Gonna Change is about slipping up and being overly critical of yourself. It’s easy to get lost in a negative thought spiral when that happens. It’s okay to dwell in it just a little though, and this song could help you do just that. The transition to the next song is just great. Wake Up starts with a whisper telling you to, well, “wake up” and get out of that negative thought spiral. It’s the closer of the EP and it’s all about self-reflection, acknowledging what you’ve done but also not being too hard on yourself and trying again. Overall these are fun, relatable songs, delivered to you in heavy pop-punk riffs with lyrics that sound like they come straight from the heart. And what a voice!
Now Or Never strays from the thematical path. In an interview with SPIN, drummer Ada Juarez mentions it was important for them to include a love song on their EP. I think the song breaks up the EP well, as it comes fourth on the six song EP. I love that they specifically mention that it can be interpreted both romantically as well as platonically. They did a great job encapsulating that feeling when you’re with someone and it’s just like you’ve entered this state of mind that’s all about having a good time in the here and now. Like your brains forgot how to worry about things, and not wanting that to end (which, for dramatic purposes, of course it does). I don’t know what to say, it really hits me and I’m not sure if I love or hate that because it reminds me of some really good times but it also makes me miss my friends! Oh well, I’m all about letting my heart strings get plucked, without the drama, so the verdict is: I love it. I also just think it’s a very enjoyable song!
To conclude: this EP is really great y’all! It tells a story, it hits you right in the feels, it’s comforting, it’s fun, and I love that they decided to write about these hard topics and managed to make it sound uplifting. This band is gonna go places and I’m very excited to see how many young people have found the representation they were looking for and will be inspired by them to follow in their footsteps.
Stream Modern Citizen here.
This review was written by Ilse R. Smit.
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