Worse For The Wear

It seems unfair to compare the New Amsterdams with frontman Matthew Pryor's other band, the Get Up Kids. But the parallels are undeniable. Even though this is formerly his singer-songwriter project, much of his main band's emo-pop enthusiasm spills over into the upbeat arrangements and bright melodies. The feeling of Americana that comes across on Worse for the Wear, Pryor's third album under the New Amsterdams name, is not like that of, say, Ryan Adams, despite the rapsy voice, twilight glow of the creaky Rhodes organ, and the confessional-style songwriting. This is simply stripped-down pop with a twang, marking both a curious departure from the usual Gram Parsons palette and the potential birth of new genre, with standout songs like "The Spoils of the Spoiled" and "Hanging on for Hope" acting as signifiers along the way. Call it nu depression. --Aidin Vaziri