Taking Meds

I Hate Me showcases a band at the height of their powers. Taking Meds’ newest LP makes good on the promises of their previous material, perfecting their penchant for catchy, technical riffs in atypical time signatures.

This release evokes the more angular and technically proficient luminaries of the 90s/00s mathy emo boom such as Dismemberment Plan and Q and not U, but brings a level of intensity and aggression those bands were often missing. Other moments capture notes of the 90s indie scene’s most experimental guitar rock acts. Polvo, Slint, and Chavez are refreshing reference points in a musical landscape often obsessed with nostalgia at the expense of craft. Taking Meds reverse that formula, prioritizing creative songwriting over backwards facing sentimentality.

The band manages to compose tunes that feel both refreshingly new and comfortingly familiar, synthesizing their influences into something uniquely their own. I Hate Me is a perfect record for anyone who’s tired of phoned in imitations and college rock cosplay.