miranda reviews the world: return of the king

Welcome back to my newsletter! I haven't written an installment of this segment since last November when I watched a bunch of horror movies. Today I return triumphantly to discuss only the important things. On the docket today we have Fall Out Boy albums, Sympathy by The Goo Goo Dolls, looking for a new apartment, thinking about turning 25, my grandma's funeral, and Drew Gooden's emo playlists.

Fall Out Boy

Up until recently I had never listened to a full Fall Out Boy album other than Folie a Deux. Not sure why. Just never did. So on my way to and from a work conference about an hour away I listened to Take This To Your Grave and From Under The Cork Tree. I also attempted Infinity On High, but I got bored.

I think it's pretty obvious that these albums are good. No real hot takes here.

I had a better time with Take This To Your Grave, but only because I think I knew too many of the songs on From Under The Cork Tree so I just wanted to get to those since they hold some nostalgia. I hold far less nostalgia for the 2003 album.

I do wonder if there is still a contingent of teenager that's like super into this kind of stuff? Are there still tweens dedicated to My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy? If not, what are they into? At least in terms of legacy, introductory emo. My Chemical Romance was like 2 years from breaking up when I was in 7th grade and Fall Out Boy was on hiatus before I started middle school at all. There was a wealth of their music available. Are they still the intro point? I'd be curious to know.

I give the 2.3 Fall Out Boy albums I listened to a collective 7.3/10.

Sympathy by The Goo Goo Dolls

I drove to my grandma's funeral with my sister. In the car we listened to lots of soft rock, including this song and I have not stopped thinking about it since. It's just lodged in my brain. I can't stop. I've listened to it dozens of times. I just like it.

8.2/10

My Grandma's Funeral

My paternal grandmother died in November of last year, but we didn't have a funeral until mid-July. Much like at my grandfather's funeral seven years ago, we buried the urn and listened to my father then his three siblings speak about their mother. My dad spoke first and I watched him look at my older sister then me and immediately cry because both of us were just already crying.

The whole week I was back in my parents' house my family looked through all kinds of memories my grandma kept. Photo albums. Report cards for my dad and his siblings. Letters between my grandfather and his brother or from my grandma's sister to her family or from childhood friends to my aunt. I'm highly sentimental so these were really fun and special moments. I think a lot about how so many of my memories exist online instead of in photo albums with dainty cursive on the back outlining who is in the photo, where was it taken, and what year.

Going to see my paternal grandparents was the highlight of my childhood every time I went. They lived in Connecticut and it seemed like the most different place in the world to the suburb of Chicago I grew up in. They were the kindest, most warm people I've ever known and I miss them very much.

Here's a photo of my grandmother that I took from one of those photo albums.

I give the loss of my grandparents a 0.0/10, but I give spending time basking in memories with your family a 10.0/10.

Finding a New Apartment

Hell. Terrible. The worst. Kinda fun to see how people decorate though.

2.5/10

Thinking About Turning 25

You know, I don't know that I'm as upset about turning 25. As a kid being 25 felt like the coolest age you could be. I don't know why I thought that, but I really did. Being 25 felt like really being an adult, but in a very cool way. Like in my head Barbie was 25. You could do anything at 25! And I think that's kind of true. I have a stable job and I can afford my rent and book vacations and live far away from my family.

I think I also talk to mostly people who are between 2 and 10 years older than me, though, so maybe that's why it doesn't feel bad to me. If you only hang out with people older than you, you can never feel old.

7.5/10

Drew Gooden's Emo Playlists

Drew Gooden is a youtuber. One might call him my favorite youtuber. One, of course, being me. I just think he's neat. I like to look in the background of his videos to see what vinyl he's displaying. Usually it's like The Strokes or something. But he also uses playing guitar for jokes a lot and he's always doing noodly emo riffs and I like that.

Anyway, in his most recent video about taking Ninja's streaming Master Class he shows some spotify playlists.

The only two vibes: Normal and Emo.

I thought it was very funny of him to put a Lydia song on the playlist so I went to look at what else he has on this spotify account.

This one is perfect. Absolutely no notes. Love Bob Seger.

There's one called American Sport that's just LP1 and LP2 by American Football. We love it. I've gathered he's big into Explosions in the Sky and Dance Gavin Dance and Animals as Leaders. I don't know what Animals As Leaders is, but I imagine this is all cohesive. The story this spotify account is telling is, "hey, I'm a 28 year old white man" and I think that's nice.

Also, "But I Do" by Now, Now is on several playlists. Gotta love it.

I give Drew Gooden's spotify account a 7.8/10.

P.S. My birthday is August 11th and I am requesting at the very top here that someone help me acquire an Old Style (pictured at the top of this important article) so I can be happy.

Miranda Reinert is a music adjacent writer, zine maker, podcast host, and law school drop out based in Philadelphia. Follow me on Twitter to hear more about music and my thoughts on other youtubers: @mirandareinert. You may also send me small bits of money at @miranda-reinert on venmo if you want. But as always, thanks for reading!