Every Moment of Every Day is the second LP from Pittsburgh emo band Short Fictions. As a mark of authenticity, and almost a right of passage for many an emo musician, their lead singer and guitarist, Sam Treber has a degree in English, which he is not using to write the next great American novel, and instead serves his muse piecemeal by penning collections of short punk songs with his band. I'm almost certain that this fact is the source of the band's name (although, I haven't bothered to ask or investigate this notion at all). It's amusing because I'm also at least 90% certain that the subject matter Sam is singing about is entirely autobiographical. A recent college grad singing songs about missing someone in another city with lines like, "I never thought at 23 I'd feel this bad," are a dead giveaway in that department. On that note, the songwriting hasn't changed that much in quality since their first LP (Fates Worse Than Death), but this newer album sees the band more comfortable playing faster and more aggressively (especially on the "The Great Unwashed," which is basically a hardcore song). And while it might be anathema to emo as a genre, the band sounds less depressed here, to boot. I get the impression that they've matured as people quite a bit since the last release, and that they're now just able to process their emotions in a way that lends itself to poppier, peppier performances. Not to say that they've solved all their problems and don't feel the bite of loneliness from time to time (what would it leave them to write about if they did!), but in general, Every Moment of Every Day sees the band appreciating life a little more than they had in the past. I'd be happy for them for that alone, but I'll take a powerfully good time as well if it's on offer.
