If you were to look at a map, Portland, Oregon, looks pretty far away from the Midwest, but you wouldn’t know that listening to Mauve. Portland’s resident fifth-wave emo rockers formed during the pandemic and emerged from the other side with a rock-solid collection of songs in the vein of bands like Riley, Origami Angel, and Remo Drive.

Making a name for themselves playing across the Pacific Northwest in backyards, basements, and bars that the members aren’t even old enough to drink in, Mauve quickly established themselves as part of a new class of bands emerging from Portland’s bustling post-pandemic music scene. Throughout their debut album, you’ll hear jittery guitar taps and sticky vocal hooks perched atop an impressively energetic rhythm section.

Saccharine croons, cathartic group chants, and the occasional growl articulate late-teenage turmoil, transporting the listener to an alternate reality where Pacific Northwest Emo became a legitimate scene rivaling the Midwest. With any luck, there’s still time for that to happen, and when it does, Mauve will be at the forefront.

First pressing available on CD (100 copies)