On paper, the music of Orlando band Walking Blue looks unexceptional. Rock songs built on young hearts and catchy melodies are nothing not already seen ad infinitum or even ad nauseam. But in Walking Blue’s case, the difference is less in what they do than how they do it.
The quartet of James Thome (drums), Jimmy Kildea (guitar, vocals), Lucca Colucciello (guitar) and Sean Laing (bass) are rocketing. And as brand-new sophomore album Something Cosmic reveals, they’re also a band that’s crystallizing. With it, Walking Blue reemerge notably more concentrated. The double helix of pop-punk and emo at their core is fundamentally unchanged. Here, it’s just sharpened.
While pop-punk and emo yield little epiphany anymore, Walking Blue execute and blend them well enough to be an Orlando contender in the pop-punk branch of modern emo. Befitting their more upbeat class, Walking Blue wallow way less and kick way more. In fact, nearly all of the 12-song Something Cosmic — save for a couple of verses here and there and closer “Dear Lucy” — revels with bursting chests and full-tilt rock. Standout songs like “Phases of the Moon” and “Feel Alive” are turbo-charged blasts of big Midwest emo heart. “Laundry Woes” and “Rex 305” bring exuberant indie rock to the party, while the title track takes it back to the roots with some emocore crunch. Behind it all is an evergreen pop-punk energy and optimism, triumphantly exemplified by songs like “Stardust Spin Kick,” which is a nod to beloved Orlando scene institution Stardust Video & Coffee.
Walking Blue are a band that’s been building heat for a little while now. Considering the trajectory so far, their spark could become a certified fire with this leap of an album. Something Cosmic now streams everywhere. Even better, pick up a CD and hear the jams live at Walking Blue’s hometown release show this week with Catnap, Anchor and Colder Quicker. (7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, Will’s Pub, $10)
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This article appears in Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2026.
