Align Again by Phonefoot: A Retrospective Review

Juniper Wolf

Music Journalist

Phonefoot’s freshman album, Align Again, was an underground success- even three years after the album first released. Phonefoot is a 4-piece, San Antonio based band with over 37,000 monthly listeners as of July. With two singles and a full length album released, Phonefoot have accumulated a small, yet very devoted fanbase. Unfortunately, they haven’t released any music since 2023; however, they did go on tour in 2024. With that being said, there has been radio silence from the band since their last show/tour in December. It is unknown if they have any releases coming up. Since the third anniversary of Align Again is coming up in August, here is a retrospective review of their successful freshman record. 

Sound 

Align Again is unique when it comes to sound. The album as a whole is comprised of emo. However, unlike other emo/screamo albums, Align Again uses multiple forms of emo. For instance, in the first track LiveLeak uses harsh, aggressive, skramz inspired vocals. However in other tracks such as Bossa Burger, the track uses twinkly guitars and less aggressive, yet still emotionally charged vocals typically found in 5th wave emo. Even real spill has some Midwest emo influences. This album is a cornucopia of emo and is perfect for emo fans. 

Standout Tracks 

Baby’s-breath. Baby’s-breath dominates this album. It is the perfect blend of lo-fi shoegaze mixed with emo, screamed vocals. There is another track that needs to be noted though. Oh Long Johnson has a beautiful and unique guitar hook, which takes up a majority of the track. It’s the main thing that keeps listeners hooked as the lyrics aren’t as prominent in this track. My final standout track is Bossa Burger. Although the sound heard in this track isn’t the same with much else of the album, it still stands out from the rest. With the relatable lyrics and comical outro, there isn’t much to hate about this song. 

Lyrics 

Overall, the lyrics of this album do not follow a strict theme, other than adolescence in general. For instance, Bossa Burger talks about the dismay that working customer service causes with lyrics such as “I’m just waiting for my shift to end” and “I don’t wanna deal with you people.” While other tracks such as LiveLeak mention messy breakups with lyrics like “I’ve never felt so torn apart” and “Now who am I supposed to lovе”.  

My Thoughts 

To put it bluntly, I love this album. It is a fantastic pick for any and all fans of emo. It encompasses nearly the entire emo subgenre. Don’t get me wrong, it does have its flaws. Some cases are the excessively long instrumental sections in the middle of some songs. Plenty of people will have a problem with the lack of fluidity when it comes to listening to the album top down, as each song has its own sense of independence. All-in-all, this album is incredibly unique and unseen in a somewhat diluted subgenre like emo and skramz, however, it isn’t for everyone. 

Phonefoot’s first album was a rare, unique release. With their initial release, they have garnered a small, yet devoted fanbase. Align Again brings a distinct, original sound to an already watered down subgenre. It’s fantastic that such a feat can be accomplished from a band that is only down I-35.