The Get Up Kids decided to get up and make another album after a seven year hiatus. There Are Rules is the group’s fifth full length album overall, however it also represents a rebirth.  TGUK doesn’t rest on its laurels and rehash old riffs and beats. Instead, they bring an evolved sound; one with more edge and grit. Even though the emo label is lurking around the corner, this group made that “stigma” work for them once and There Are Rules is proof they will again.

Disbanding in 2005, The Get Up Kids were thought to be gone from the music scene. That all changed when Matt Pryor (vocals/guitars), Jim Suptric (guitar), Rob Pope (bass), James Dewees (keyboards) and Ryan Pope (drums) got the itch to write together again in 2009. Out of their recording sessions came 12 new songs to add to the catalog.

“Tithe” sets the tone for the entire album and perhaps future of the group when Pryor sings “But after we sing this song / I’ve got so little left.” The constant pounding energy is proof that The Get Up Kids are allowing their creative bubbles to burst.

Fans can expect likable songs and introspective lyrics – the same as always, but this is an older band so don’t expect to hear about chasing after a pretty girl. TGUK extends their subject matter and sound. “Automatic” for example is synth heavy, while “Better Lie” is a collection of drum beats, overlapped guitar and a booming bass. Throw the 70s into the mixture, and you get “Shatter Your Lungs.”

Obviously, the band is comfortable with their foundation enough to explore new territory. “Keith Case” is reminiscent of why people started to follow the Kansas City group in the first place and “The Widow Paris” is a reason for their new spark.  At the 10 anniversary of their breakthrough album, Something to Write Home About, TGUK comes up with an eerie LP that leaves the listener what is going to happen next; both musically and band wise. An optimistic yet rough undertone comes across in the sound and the lyrics.

This raw emotion effect may stem from the fact that this album is being released through the band’s own imprint, Quality Hill Records. Should fans be wondering what is in the future for the group, they will find only ambiguity in There Are Rules.

The final track “Rememorable” sums it up in a raucous upbeat “I fear that these words may prove fatal/Gonna lay all my cards on the table/Just look how far we’ve come/And you’ll send us ten steps off/You’ve got it all so wrong/Why don’t you go away.”

Conclusion:  The Get Up Kids appear comfortable behind the wheel of their music. It should be an interesting drive.