Time Spent Driving
Lost Leaves
(Thirty Something Records)
4/5
After releasing an EP and two full-length albums in the early 2000s then taking a nine-year hiatus from 2003 to 2012, Time Spent Driving—an emo/indie rock band based in California—released two more albums in 2015 and 2023. Now, signed with a new record label, they’re ready to release their fifth full-length, Lost Leaves.
With their newest work, they’ve managed to maintain the same sound while still keeping the songs individual, which is impressive given that they took a significant break from making music, and it’s been nearly 30 years since they originally formed the band.
We begin with the opening track “Weak Arm,” which precisely sets the tone for the rest of the album. It features some strong playing: discernible lead guitar and heavy drums to back it up, an angsty start to set the basis for a good emo album.
Off the first listen, the track “She’s the One” caught my attention; it embodies what most of the album is leaning onto: past love. This song especially grabs onto the theme, although all songs on Lost Leaves contain emotionally visceral vocals, which are the key to mastering that ’90s emo/grunge sound.
A big part of Time Spent Driving’s sound is an embrace of nostalgia; it makes you feel as if you’ve listened to it before, but, really, it’s something entirely new. With the focal point of the album reminiscing on past lovers, the band emphasizes that feeling of sentimentality for an earlier time.
As you work through the album, it mellows out a little bit. The subject matter eases a little more into societal issues for the song “Excuse the Irony,” but quickly returns to reflecting on personal struggles in relationships in “Threads and Needles.”
When Lost Leaves drops on August 21, I’ll be adding many of these songs to my playlists.