The emo revival evolved off the back of third-wave emo, beginning in the late 2000s and extending into the 2010s. There’s that whole joke about emo being just a phase, and maybe that’s true. But these albums still hold up today, and are maybe just what we need in the current musical landscape. Videos by VICE ‘What it Takes to Move Forward’ by Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) released their debut album, What it Takes to Move Forward in September 2009. At the time, emo revival was gaining momentum. This album helped propel the genre into the 2010s as a more polished take on Midwest emo . It took the raw, textured elements of OG Midwest emo and cleaned them up, keeping the deeply emotional lyrics and vocals. But while there’s a simple lineup of instruments here, the band uses them to make innovative, evocative sounds. In today’s music landscape, where emo has pretty much died out, What it Takes to Move Forward still holds up for its unique compositions.…