Prepare your neck for headbanging and your heart for feeling because Stupid Games will take you on an emotional roller coaster with its new album, Fear of Missing Out.

The first (and title) song “Fear of Missing Out” begins the theatrical album in a hard, rugged tone. The band makes use of a rhythmically chugging guitar and piercingly passionate vocals reminiscent of Foo Fighters’ epic, slowly building pop/rock hit “Everlong.”

From there, the album turns to matters of romance and emotion with “It’s About You” and “You Are.” Not only is this group emotionally diverse in its music, but also stylistically diverse. Stupid Games possesses the ability to get you pumped up and, at the same time, inspire true romantic introspection.

The band has mastered the balance between heartfelt, acoustic ballads and driving hard-rockers. Stupid Games manipulates the feel of each song, from the tempo and rhythm to the lyricism. From top to bottom, each song is consistent and unique.

With its very appropriate final song, “Questions (. . . and an Answer),” Fear of Missing Out leaves a sense of satisfaction and completion that parallels a well-written dramatic film.

That said, each artist’s vision of musical expression is their own, but the use of auto-tune on the high-end vocals completely distracts from the sentiment being expressed in Stupid Games’ songs. It just stands out so much. Listening to a stripped-down acoustic song about a significant other can be very beautiful and genuine, but the introduction of an obvious auto-tune pulls the listener out from the spell that was cast with the first strum of the guitar. This isn’t necessarily the fault of the musicians. Perhaps it is an issue of production. At any rate, it sticks out noticeably within the context of the more natural sounding instrumentation.

Check the album out for yourself at stupidgamesband.bandcamp.com.