Over the past 21 years, American Football has amassed something of a cult following among emo and post-rock fans.

After initially releasing two projects – an EP and a full-length in 1998 and '99, respectively – the group disappeared for over 15 years, which lent a somewhat ghostly quality to their reputation as a not-to-be-forgotten emo band from another era. Fans fell in love with their fresh take on a tired genre: infusing twinkling math-rock guitar licks with vistal, open chords, and sincere, confessional lyricism, creating a sound that was as unique as it was familiar.

It wasn't until 2014 that American Football reunited and the band could finally materialize into something more than an unsung relic from a time when emo and pop punk reigned supreme. With this surprise reunion, Polyvinyl Records released a deluxe edition of the band's original self-titled album from 1999, including 10 previously unheard live recordings and demos. American Football had been resurrected and reinvigorated, leading to the release of their second eponymous full-length album in 2016, which further solidified their already established dreamy and buoyant sound. Although LP2 was by no means poorly received, it was frequently criticized for sounding more like Owen (founding member Mike Kinsella's solo project) than it did an American Football record.

On LP3, released earlier this month, it sounds as if the band took this criticism to heart. It truly sounds like an American Football record, through and through, from track one to track eight. Not only has the band managed to reimagine their trademark sound in new and exciting ways, but every song feels both fully fleshed out and necessary, creating a cohesive and dynamic album. It is always a bit risky to release an album with so few songs because each one, then, is bound to receive increased attention. It's one thing to have a skip-over song or two on a typical 12 or 13-track album, but when a band only offers up eight cuts, there is extra pressure to deliver on every single one. But deliver they did.

LP3 is one of those albums that you could jump into at any point and become immersed. Each song provides its own satisfyingly complete musical experiences and unique catharses, and each song leaves you curious to know where the next one will take you. You could play the album in its natural order, starting with the intriguingly minimalist-inspired bell motif that opens "Silhouettes," or you could happen into the album halfway through and get absolutely lost in the windswept, delay-driven guitars, and almost Morrissey-like melodic sensibilities of "Heir Apparent." Either way, you are in for a sonically satisfying experience.

Other standouts on the album, such as "Uncomfortably Numb," featuring Paramore's Haley Williams and "Every Wave to Ever Rise," assisted by Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk, show how American Football has nearly perfected their signature sound. Whereas the American Football of the past may have allowed these songs to roll by as quietly pensive ballads, the American Football of LP3 is filling in the gaps with rich vocal harmonies and subtly complex instrumentations that result in a more mature and layered sound. In many ways, LP3 sounds like the fulfillment of American Football's long-standing potential – this is how American Football was meant to sound.

LP3 is the answer to the question, what would an emo band sound like if they truly allowed themselves to grow as individuals and musicians? The result is an emotionally resonant collection of honest meditations on love, loss, and loneliness without any of the gimmicky teenage angst or three-chord simplicity often associated with the genre. American Football is at their best here. Hopefully, fans won't have to wait another 15 years to hear the next iteration of their sound.

American Football (LP3)

Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).

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