Common Sage - ‘Closer To;’ review
Common Sage by Kelsey Hunter Ayres
Tomorrow 22 November, Common Sage release their third album, Closer To;, via Equal Vision Records, just a few months after their July EP, Nostos | Algos. The short gap between releases feels intentional, as the band channels raw emotion and a sense of creative urgency into this new chapter. Closer To; acts as a kind of time capsule, transporting me back to being 16, when bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday were staples of my daily existence.
As a “punk kid” (or as punk as you can be while growing up in the Wiltshire countryside, with a deep fear of breaking rules and a firm anti-smoking/anti-drug stance) in the mid-2000s, my introduction to emo was almost accidental. It came while watching the video for Home Grown’s "You're Not Alone" on the much-missed P-Rock TV, where the genre was mentioned in passing. Before long, I tumbled headfirst down the rabbit hole. My CD collection soon overflowed with third-wave emo and emo-adjacent bands, my MySpace profile was littered with dramatic lyrical quotes, and covered with a bright pink-and-black aesthetic with a heavy dose of X’s and O’s.
For years, I was quietly embarrassed by this phase, dismissing those albums as guilty pleasures. But in recent years, I’ve come to embrace that younger version of myself and the way those songs shaped my musical identity. Closer To; by Common Sage pulls me right back to those days. While Closer To; may stir up sentimental memories, it’s far from a simple attempt at third-wave emo revival. Instead, it captures the spirit of that era while blending influences and growth from the two decades since the peak of the scene. Released as autumn fades into winter, the album feels perfectly in tune with the season: long, dark nights, a creeping chill, and the search for something to keep the fire burning deep inside.
Writing this review with sleet falling from an overcast sky Closer To; I can’t think of a better way to capture the essence of the album and its opener “Witness”. The track features guest vocals from Christ Johns of Stay Inside and the track's music dates from his period in Common Sage. It’s possibly my favourite on the album its instrumentation a classic slice of broken emo beauty with haunting vocals that build to a full-blown rage. It’s the kind of track that you put on at full volume as you scream “tell me just how I am feeling” at the all-encompassing void of existence.
Our first introduction to Closer To; came with its lead single and second track, “Vehicles,” at the tail end of September. The track opens with piercing New York emo-inspired guitars before roaring to life (or RAWS2LYF for my fellow former scene kids). It’s a blazing song that offers a striking perspective. Through its lyrics, frontperson Julian Rosen uses the iconography of the Heaven’s Gate cult—a concept Rosen discussed in our recent interview—referring to their bodies as “vehicles” to explore the modern condition. The themes grapple with dissatisfaction with life’s reality, the nihilism of existence, and the unsettling truth that we are, ultimately, just slabs of flesh destined to cease to be.
Another standout element of the album is the production from Brett Romnes best known for his work with bands like Hot Mulligan, Heart Attack Man, Just Friends, and Grumpster. Romnes brings a seasoned ear, expertly drawing out the best from the artists he works with. His influence is clear on tracks like “Come Undone” and “Shiver,” where his production adds an extra layer of third-wave emo flair. In addition to being one of the most respected producers in the scene, Romnes is also the drummer for The Movielife and I Am the Avalanche, further cementing his emo credentials.
About halfway through the album, we encounter another pre-release single, “Until I’m Gone,” a track I absolutely adore and one that kicked off what might be my favourite episode of our radio show a few weeks ago. It begins with a swirling build of arpeggiated chords, creating a hypnotic, almost gothic atmosphere that feels like being entranced by a music box, transported into a dreamlike state. Thematically, it marks a shift for Rosen. Where much of their writing has been introspective and rooted in personal experience, “Until I’m Gone” turns outward. While familiar Common Sage themes of change and loss remain, this time Rosen focuses on another’s struggles, witnessing them firsthand but still interpreting events through their own lens.
Following the ethereal, dreamlike build of “Until I’m Gone,” the next track, another favourite of mine, “47.,” bursts into life with whiplash brilliance. It’s the kind of song made to be heard live, promising chaos at emo club nights around the world. A complete ripper, it’s the perfect track to inject a burst of emo-fuelled energy when you need it most.
After the relentless energy of “47.,” the album eases into a more pensive tone with its next trio of tracks: “Waste,” “Belrushes (ft. Sainthood Reps),” and “(desiderium).” And unlike the lyrics of “Waste,” this shift isn’t wasted on me. As my own journey on this rock hurtling around a burning ball of gas pushes me ever closer to middle age, this change of pace is more than welcome.
The album's penultimate track, “Patient & Kind,” is another standout—a smouldering, slow-burning emo masterpiece. It gets under your skin, its flames consuming you as it etches itself into your very essence. If, like me, you were a fan of a certain New York-based band that rose to prominence during emo’s third wave (the one we now dare not name), this track will feel like a bittersweet echo of that era. Dark, twisting, and utterly brilliant, it perfectly showcases Common Sage’s ability to craft songs that honour emo’s storied past while breathing fresh life into its future.
Closing the album is “Apparitions,” a track that feels both haunting and resolute. Its fitting refrain of “this is how you disconnect” reverberates through discordant electronic influences and snarling, violent guitars. The song ends Closer To; on a beautifully painful, apocalyptic note. With a sense of raw finality, it feels as though the album itself is grappling with the end of everything—a conclusion as heavy as it is thought-provoking.
With Closer To;, Common Sage have delivered an album that summons the ghosts of emo’s past while propelling it forward into a new era. It’s not just a collection of tracks—it’s a meditation on nostalgia, evolution, and the raw emotions that drive us all. From the fiery urgency of “Vehicles” to the hypnotic beauty of “Until I’m Gone,” and the crushing finality of “Apparitions,” this record is a journey through sound and feeling that refuses to tread water or play it safe.
It’s a record that will resonate with long-time fans of the genre, evoking familiar pangs of teenage angst and catharsis, but also with newer listeners drawn to its innovative approach. Closer To; doesn’t just rest on emo’s laurels—it redefines its possibilities, creating something bold, introspective, and achingly honest. This is an album that won’t just live in your playlists—it will live in your bones.
Closer To; from Common Sage is out 22 November via Equal Vision Records and available on all good streaming platforms.
