Kerosene Heights came up from Asheville, North Carolina, with their 2023 EP Leaving and quickly became one of the more exciting young bands in the Midwest emo revival. Their second full-length Blame It On The Weather is the sound of a group settling into themselves – tighter, louder, and far more confident.
The album was written in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which ripped through their home state, and the storm hangs heavy over these twelve tracks. But it isn’t just a disaster record. It’s about how lives shift, how grief and hope overlap, and how you learn to stay on your feet when the ground is moving.
Opener Sunsetting sets a sombre tone before giving way to the catchy drive of Forget It. Singles Waste of Time and New Tattoo are instant standouts – the former sharp and bitter, the latter a romantic anthem that closes with a massive breakdown. Later cuts like Ghosts and the chaotic title track stretch the band’s sound, pulling between punk urgency and midwest-emo introspection.
New drummer Benji Bennis is the quiet star here. His dynamic style pushes the songs forward, giving weight to every hook and breakdown. Together with guitarist Justin Franklin, bassist Elle Thompson, and vocalist Chance Smith, the band sound more like a unit than ever before.
Blame It On The Weather doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It takes the familiar emo-punk blueprint and plays it with conviction, chemistry, and a real sense of catharsis. This is a record built for sweaty basements and long drives, carrying a storm inside but always finding melody at the centre.
Releasedate: 15-08-2025 | Label: SideOneDummy | Instagram
Tracklist:
01. Sunsetting
02. Forget It
03. Inside Baseball
04. Diego All In
05. Waste My Time
06. New Tattoo
07. Things Like Forever
08. Sink
09. Die Trying
10. Ghosts
11. Love Spelled Backwards Is Love
12. Blame It On The Weather
