At some point in college, I decided that I was “over” all of my adolescent tastes. I ignored all of the emo, punk, metal, and whatever else in favor of folk, indie rock, post punk, and “weird” stuff like Krautrock and dub reggae.

I’ve since come back around, but I’m still trying to catch up on all of the stuff I’ve missed during that time (I still haven’t listened to a full album by The World Is A Beautiful Place). In trying to sort out what’s worth diving into and what isn’t worth my time, a friend recommended Basement. And from the first listen, I was absolutely enraptured by the jangling chords, soaring melodies, and dynamic shifts.

The so-called “emo revival” (of which this English quintet was a major force) often felt a bit like a game of Spot the Influence. Bands would make their career offering up tributes to Mineral, Thrice, and Jimmy Eat World, often without giving it any originality at all.

And while Colourmeinkindness definitely has shades of that game (my first reaction was that it sounded like the perfect intersection of Sunny Day Real Estate and Cave In), they use those building blocks to create something that is distinctly their own. This record shifts between melodic hardcore (“Whole,” “Spoiled“), anthemic emo (“Covet,” “Breathe“), jangling indie rock (“Pine“), and 90s alternative (“Wish“).

But despite the genre-hopping, Colourmeinkindess never feels schizophrenic or derivative. Their voice is self-assured and idiosyncratic, creating a record that is varied yet cohesive. Ronan Crix and Alex Henery’s guitars move as a single unit, shifting from crunching chords to crystalline arpeggios at a moments’ notice. Drummer James Fisher and bassist Duncan Stewart lay down their grooves with all the passion of hardcore punk, keeping even the quieter songs from getting too toothless. The way they play together, you’d never guess that the songs were written across email while the band was too busy to meet together.

Over all of this, vocalist Andrew Fisher’s mercurial voice shifts like a chameleon, varying from a hardcore bark to a tender croon. His vocal range is impressive as well, performing baritone balladry and soaring falsettos with the same surety.

Admittedly, I’m entirely ignorant to the rest of Basement’s career. I didn’t know this was their swansong at the time until I looked at other reviews (they’ve since gotten back together). I haven’t listened to their earlier work, so I can’t speak to the claims of reinvention that were assigned to this record. All I know is that six years after its release, amid a constant barrage of would-be emo revivalists, Colourmeinkindess remains a fresh and satisfying listen.