Midwest emo legends American Football released their fourth self-titled album, colloquially referred to as “LP4,” on May 1. The album is their first since their pseudo-hiatus following drummer Mark Lamos’ departure and return. The big album releases in the last few weeks haven’t exactly been happy-go-lucky, with acclaimed downers from Noah Kahan and Kacey Musgraves among others. It is fitting then, that amongst the uncertainty and anxiety of 2026, American Football would return in full dispiriting glory.
Even considering their classic acclaimed debut, “LP4” has a strong case for American Football’s best album. It truly is an album that demands a full playthrough to comprehend the sonic, somber soundscape the quartet creates.
Even at their most depressive, American Football and frontman Mike Kinsella generally seem to leave a sliver of hope for the future, that the present does not define their life. “LP4” is fascinating, then, because it is bleak even for the kings of a bleak genre. Kinsella is pushing the narrative that he is completely beyond redemption, and that is why the album is so powerful. Just like in life, the listener must turn over every rock in the lyrics not only to find hope, but what hope looks like for them personally. Very, very few lyricists have that interactive power to the degree that Kinsella does.
From an instrumental standpoint, the record shows just how important Steve Lamos is to American Football’s signature sound. The album opens with “Man Overboard” and a wonderfully off-time, off-kilter drum solo that sonically illustrates the instability the band is working with. Lamos fills the whole rest of “LP4” with a drumming style that is always on the cliff of being offbeat, always keeping the listener on their toes without ever losing the band.
While some of the instrumental tracks leave a bit to be desired, the album more than makes up for it by picking out stellar cameos such as Wisp on “Wake Her Up” and Turnstile singer Brendan Yates on “No Feeling.” Each of these songs blend American Football’s style with the cameo artists’ perfectly, an incredibly admirable balancing act.
As albums wind down, the norm is for the songs to shift away from singles and more into the emotional weight of the closer. For American Football, of course, this only means leaning deeper into their strengths on standouts “Patron Saint of Pale” and “Desdemona.”
“LP4” is one of those rare pieces of music that can stay with you in the bad whilst knowing precisely that the future can be, will be different. For American Football, it’s just another album.
What a special record. What a special band.
8.5/10 (Must-listens: “Wake Her Up,” “Patron Saint of Pale”)