Similar artists: Knuckle Puck, The Wonder Years, State Champs
Recommended tracks: “Cold Blooded,” “Never Has Become Always,” “10th Floor”
Chicago pop punk/emo band Real Friends (Kyle Fasel, David Knox, Eric Haines, Brian Blake, Cody Muraro) dropped Blue Hour last Friday, October 11, their first album released without a record label, or more accurately, under their made-up record label Midwest Trash. The band has been steadily building the hype for this album over the course of the past few months on their social media, encouraging fans to share and reshare to help this be their biggest project yet, and it worked. The response has been insane, and the band doesn’t disappoint with the final product.
It’s also their first full-length album featuring Cody Muraro on lead vocals since he was welcomed to the band in 2021. Produced over the course of 8 weeks in Orlando alongside the band’s close friend and producer Andrew Wade, Blue Hour is perhaps the best Real Friends record yet. Elaborating more on the concept, Real Friends shared in an Instagram post:
“‘Blue Hour’ symbolizes the pain of certain life chapters coming to an end while simultaneously representing the potential joys of what lies ahead. It’s a time when we shed tears of sadness for the past and tears of joy for the glimmers of hope in the future.”
The beginning of opening track “I Was A Deer In Your Headlights” serves as a nice acoustic introduction. The song takes on a theme of nostalgia as it picks up more power, giving us the first taste of a feeling that will be present throughout the album. While the song feels new and fresh, it also feels familiar, like your favorite old sweatshirt that you put on right after it comes out of the dryer.
There’s an energized angst to the following track, “Our Love Was Like A Sad Song,” as it cleverly plays on other famous songs within the emo genre with lyrics like “I was wrong / when I thought / I’d follow you into the dark.” With a bit of crackling behind the production, we head seamlessly into “Cold Blooded,” an introspective track that beautifully showcases Muraro’s vocal range.
We head straight into some classic pop punk with “A Place I Don’t Think Exists,” a standout track due to its melodic chorus and fast-paced rhythm, before delving into “Waiting Room.” Inspired by the emotions he grapples with after the death of his father, lyricist Kyle Fasel says it’s one of the most vulnerable songs he’s ever written. The band peppers in some experimentation with “Asymmetry,” which has almost a lo-fi feel at the start. Muraro’s ability to switch between clean and harsh vocals really shines here before we head into “Radiant,” another catchy pop punk tune with a callback to the album title with the lyric “paint it blue like we used to.”
“This Year Is Out To Get Me” is lyrically one of the most emo tracks on the album, which says a lot as it competes with songs like “Waiting Room.” But while “Waiting Room” focuses specifically on Fasel’s father’s death, “This Year Is Out To Get Me” puts that event into a larger context of the overall struggles of life. The band still gets up close and personal, though, with lyrics like “I’ll never have a darker day than the 14th of December.” This lyrical style gives listeners something concrete to hold onto within the sea of heavy emotional concepts present on the album.
Picking up the energy, “Never Has Become Always” is perhaps the band’s heaviest song to date, and it’s exhilarating to hear them explore this kind of sound. The breakdown is epic, and it’ll grab the attention of both long-time fans as well as new listeners with heavier tastes.
The ambient “Orange & Red” serves as a kind of interlude, featuring Fasel’s spoken word and a dreamy soundscape where the instrumentals and production really shine during the first half. The pure poetry of the lyrics also stands out, evoking images of fall and feelings of nostalgia. The full band eventually comes in with some ethereal vocals, adding emphasis and texture.
The album’s catchy first single, “When You Were Here,” follows before we head into the lyrically very dark “10th Floor.” Muraro’s raw vocal style and the glitchy guitars in the second verse add to this emotional landscape. The lyrics express a pained cry for help from the very first line, “I woke up from a nightmare / where my life got better / But I’m still fucked up,” to the very last, “Please just save me.” The vocal delivery and the energy shifts in the music plunge the listener straight into the dark with the band, making you want to scream right along with Muraro.
The album’s closer, “I Know How This Ends,” was teased on the band’s Instagram shortly before the record’s release. Throughout the song, Muraro’s emotion-filled delivery hits listeners right in the heart. There are harsh moments where his voice provides a raw contrast to the soothing acoustic backdrop, while the softer and more vulnerable moments will give listeners goosebumps. This is a fitting note to end on, with a more intimate feel reminiscent of a hug from a loved one after a long, hard cry. The acoustic nature of the track brings the album full circle from the acoustic intro at the beginning, and the song, and therefore the entire album, ends with the lyrics “I think I might die this way.” This purposeful message is the perfect sentiment to tie together an album largely dealing with nostalgia, loss, and a glimmer of hope for the future.
Blue Hour takes listeners on a raw emotional journey from beginning to end. The renewed energy Muraro’s vocals bring melds beautifully with bassist Kyle Fasel’s lyrics, adding even more depth to each and every song. Real Friends eases us in at the very start, opening us up for the more fast-paced angst, aggression, and grief that make up the album’s core, and then calms us down again at the end. Thanks to Muraro’s impassioned vocal delivery over expertly crafted and executed instrumentals, listeners move through every single emotion along with the band.
The sheer amount of passion and emotion that went into this album is evident. The record as a unit feels fresh, authentic, and earnest – so much so that listeners will feel a close personal connection to the band after listening all the way through. Listening to this album is like hearing the band say to you, “We understand, and we’re here for you.” Through this album and the way they’ve promoted it on their social media, Real Friends shows that they truly care about connecting with their audience and working together to create meaningful music.
Real Friends really put it all out there on this one vocally, musically, and lyrically, and it shows. As the band enters this new era, they’ve become an even bigger force to be reckoned with in the Midwest emo scene.
And lucky for fans, Real Friends is heading out on the Real Friends Forever And Ever And Ever And Ever tour across the US on October 21, so you’ll get to hear them play these new songs live very soon. Tickets can be purchased on their website. 
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