''Dear You'' is the fourth and final studio album by American punk rock band Jawbreaker, released on September 12, 1995 by

DGC Records DGC Records (an initialism for the David Geffen Company) was an American record label that operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group. History DGC Records was launched in 1990 as a subsi ...

, their first and only release on a major label. The band broke up after the release. Singer/guitarist

Blake Schwarzenbach Alexander Blake Schwarzenbach (born May 21, 1967) is an American musician. He is the singer and guitarist of Jawbreaker (1986–1996; 2017–present), and was also a member of Jets to Brazil (1997–2003), The Thorns of Life (2008–2009), a ...

underwent surgery on his vocal cords shortly before the recording of ''Dear You''. Containing much less raspy vocals, the record had higher production values compared to the band's previous albums. Schwarzenbach later confirmed that the move to DGC was necessary for the band to stay around, as they had been on the verge of breaking up.

Musical style

Musically, the album balanced "a more sophisticated

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

sound with an intimate lyrical approach".

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

labeled the album as "heartfelt, road-trip-proven

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...

". James Monger of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

called the record a "powerhouse collection of punk, grunge, and emo that paved the way for groups like Jimmy Eat World and

Dashboard Confessional Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the songThe Sharp Hint of New Tears off their debut album, '' The Swiss Army Romance''. History Early ...

Reception

At the time of the album's release, much of the band's pre-existing fanbase did not receive the album well. As Jawbreaker had made many previous comments to the media declaring their disdain of the major-label music industry–claiming many times that they would not sign to a major label–many fans saw the band signing to

(for a reported advance of one million dollars) as a "betrayal". The slicker production, courtesy of a producer known at the time for working with Green Day, and Schwarzenbach's changed vocal style, did not go over well with many fans who did give the album a chance. After Jawbreaker's breakup, many of these same fans came to reconsider the album in the context of the band's legacy, and changed their opinion to a more positive view. Considering this change in perception, along with the album's influence on the next wave of

emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

and

music, it has appeared on various best-of emo album lists by ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'', '' LA Weekly'', ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', as well as by journalists Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley in their book ''Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture'' (2007). Similarly, "Accident Prone" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

''. '' Stereogum'' named "Jet Black" in their list of "30 Emo Songs: Late 90s & Early 2000s Essentials".

Track listing

References

Citations Sources *

External links

''Dear You''
at

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

(streamed copy where licensed) Jawbreaker (band) albums 1995 albums albums produced by Rob Cavallo {{1990s-punk-album-stub