When Jawbreaker released their fourth album, 1995’s Dear You, reception was decidedly mixed. Not only was the LP’s sound more polished than the trio's previous efforts—producer Rob Cavallo was fresh off co-producing Green Day’s breakthrough, Dookie—but Dear You was also released on a major label, something the Bay Area band had said they’d never do. In fact, some fans were so angry at the mainstream gesture that they literally turned their backs to the stage when Jawbreaker played these new songs live.
Luckily, the passage of time—and the band’s reunion in 2017 after a two-decade-plus split—has softened any anger toward Dear You. The album is now rightfully seen as a ’90s classic, thanks to its combination of throttling post-hardcore energy, chugging grunge-punk grooves, and ragged, loose guitar tone. In hindsight, there’s a good argument to be made that Jawbreaker are as influential to the modern wave of heart-on-sleeve emo bands as the Pixies and The Replacements.
Frontman Blake Schwarzenbach’s pained, gruff delivery matched Dear You’s lyrical themes. Songs poked fun at punk purity (“Bad Scene, Everyone’s Fault”) but also addressed much more serious topics: romantic anguish, gnawing personal failures and regrets, and the disconcerting experience of realizing you’re no longer a carefree kid but an adult with responsibilities. Those dense emotional layers most of all gave Dear You staying power, as it became a record relatable to those with teen and adult angst alike.