After two EPs, several singles and months of anticipation, Kansas City’s beloved indie band, The Greeting Committee, released its debut album “This Is It.” The Greeting Committee consists of vocalist Addie Sartino, drummer Austin Fraser, guitarist Brandon Yangmi and bassist Pierce Turcotte, who all met as high schoolers at Blue Valley High School. The album tackles complicated feelings of coming-of-age, being in love and going through the ups and downs of life, all of which successfully tugged at my heartstrings and made me tear up walking to class.

The album leads with the track “Is This It?,” giving listeners the first glimpse into some of Sartino’s woeful thoughts about finding meaning in growing up. Her voice is soft and melancholy, matching the reflective lyrics and instrumentals, and the song’s ending piano note dreamingly flows into the next track, “Pull It Together.”

“Pull It Together” is much more optimistic than the first song. The lyrics are inspiring, explaining that you need to rise up from your messes and better yourself. However, the song doesn’t let you forget that overcoming obstacles is an obstacle itself, reminding me of several songs from the genre-neutral band Paramore. A choir sings in the chorus, blending fantastically with Sartino’s voice and urging you to bob your head and sing along to the lyrics.

“Some Kind of Love,” and “More” are two slow-paced and romantic songs on “This Is It.” The sappy lyrics radiate a sense of contentment and respect within a relationship. They’re similar to some of The Greeting Committee’s other songs such as “Hands Down” from their first EP “It’s Not All That Bad.” “Odds of Forever” also indicates romance, examining how some have to wait to be with their love, and while that wait may seem painfully interminable, it’s ultimately worth it.

Another song, “Run For Your Money,” is a pick-me-up compared to its following song “Gold Star.” I can imagine how fun this song would be in concert—the steady drums giving the audience a perfect opportunity to clap to the rhythm. “Gold Star” is the shortest song on the album and opens depressingly with, “I don’t think I can be all I want.” Sartino seems to be pleading to her parents, to society and even to herself about relieving the constant pressure she is under.

“Flint” is an anthem of defying the growing up process, containing straightforward lyrics like, “The coming of age you’re dreading to happen.” It’s about running from the future and feeling like the world is going by in a quicker pace than anticipated. It’s moody, it’s intense and it hits way too close to home.

The band released four singles, “17,” “You’ve Got Me,” “Don’t Go” and “Birthday Song” before releasing the album. “17,” the first single, came out this spring and is one of my favorites from the album. Sartino sings about someone who proclaims her thoughts and feelings are simply futile. The lyric, “My god, you’re only seventeen” is from the other person’s perspective, telling her that what she thinks doesn’t matter because of her young age. It presents what could presumably be a father-daughter conflict, another relatable situation for many teenagers. The band also created a (music video for the song.)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGtEDJcKSKw]

“Birthday Song” is a sincerely intimate song that sent goosebumps down my arms and can potentially stir up some emotional memories, while “You’ve Got Me” possesses a lovingly uplifting quality comparable to “Pull It Together.” Also featuring a choir, the trumpets and encouraging beat to “Pull It Together” make it the perfect song to dance along with someone you deeply care about.

”Don’t Go” is the last song on the album and has an immensely catchy chorus, repeating the lines “Don’t go” and including “I’ll never make it on my own.” Sartino’s voice fades at the end of the lines, formulating a pleasing echo effect. The last 45 seconds of the song are only instrumentals, finalizing the song and entire album with a hopeful, melodic tone.

To celebrate the release of “This Is It,” The Greeting Committee will be playing a sold out show Nov. 10 at The Truman in Kansas City.

_Edited by Siena DeBolt | sdebolt@themaneater.com_