Hopefully summer was restful, restorative and at least a little fun for everyone reading this. If Ohio isn’t home, I want to be the first to welcome you back to this lovely state. Full of cornfields, gas stations, passive-aggressive billboards, mournful guitar riffs, whiny men singing about women far out of their league… wait, hang on. Are we talking about Midwest emo? You betcha! While we can’t easily pin down where Midwest emo comes from—from the post-hardcore punk scene or the slightly confusing world of math rock–– we can all agree that nothing captures the feeling of longing better than this subgenre. So, whether you are yearning for some place, someone or something, I hope this playlist only intensifies your emotions. 

“Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA” – Mom Jeans. 

While this band was formed in California, which is decidedly not the Midwest, the sound is so central to the Midwest emo subgenre that I had to include it. With vaguely romantic undertones that are never fully realized, listening to this song captures the feeling of wishing a situation was different without knowing how to change it. The repetitive guitar chords, along with the repetition of the lyric “I’m happy here,” conveys a feeling of being frozen in place, which can be applicable to a range of different scenarios–whether you are stuck in small-town purgatory or on an assignment you can’t bring yourself to start.

“Never Meant” – American Football

Despite being the oldest song on this playlist, “Never Meant” is sympathetic to the modern situationship. The band, formed in Urbana, Illinois, uses clever writing to explore multiple meanings of the title phrase. American Football provides a soundtrack to realizing that it was never meant to be, or maybe just that you never meant what you were saying. In either case, the doubtful mourning captured in this song is a perfect example of Midwest emo sensibilities. 

“Twin Size Mattress” – The Front Bottoms 

With over 230 million streams, this song is the most well-known on the playlist. I can only imagine all 230 million of us who have listened to this song—perhaps on repeat—know the feeling of caring about someone so deeply it hurts, even when they can’t see it. The combination of guitar and drums on this track complements the lead singer’s powerfully raw vocals to add to the depth of this song. The rest of the album is excellent as well, and I recommend “Skeleton” if you want a slightly more uplifting track. 

“Tears Over Beers” – Modern Baseball

This is my favorite song on the playlist, not just for the fast-paced guitar and charming ad-libs, but for the sweet and earnest lyrics as well. While it’s a pretty short track—which is characteristic of punk and post-punk genres—the story spans several beers, I mean years. From the self-deprecating beginning to the mature ending, this song comments on how realizing your worth isn’t easy and may take several cycles with the same “meatheads.” 

“Edward 40hands” – Mom Jeans. 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled pining for a more upbeat song from “Best Buds,” Mom Jeans.’ 2016 debut album. This song has the signature nasal tone familiar to emo genres and subgenres, but the content of the lyrics is happily romantic, comparing a lover to cigarette smoke that you can’t get rid of and maybe don’t want to. The fun, demo-like tone of the song adds to the unfiltered (pun intended) feeling of not being able to get enough of someone. 

“Mary” – Alex G 

The contrast of simple melodies and complex lyrics on this track is Alex G at his haunting best. Mary, who is an objectified ideal at the beginning of the song, later tells the singer, “I am real and you are not,” which is a powerful lyrical choice. This rings especially true for the women in most alternative subcultures, who are consistently reduced to sexualized concepts, such as the ever-interesting but seldom-respected Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Mary reminding the singer that she is real and exists beyond his fantasy of her makes the song that much more enjoyable for me. The entire album “Trick” showcases his musical and artistic ability quite well, with other favorites being “Sarah” and “Animals.” 

Some more to soothe your sighing soul: 

“Dad Rock” – TRSH

“Death Cup” – Mom Jeans. 

“Re-Do” – Modern Baseball 

“Bottom” – McCafferty

“Ohio Is for Lovers” – Hawthorne Heights

For all my purists out there, I know this isn’t real Midwest emo, but it is emo from the Midwest. Plus, my heart really is in Ohio.