The Get Up Kids March 30, 2004

It was inevitable: As its prime movers begin to kiss their 20s goodbye, "emo"--the lauded and loathed confessional pop-punk sub-genre--is beginning to grow up. Case in point: Kansas City's Get Up Kids. Where the quintet's music once said "Let's party!" while its lyrics said "Hold me, I need to cry," 2004's "Guilt Show" (Vagrant) unveils smarter, fuller arrangements and a more mature worldview. Fortunately, the band's energy remains youthful.