The Promise Ring were one of the most popular emo bands of the 90s, epitomizing the poppier, more accessible wing of the style. Along with Sunny Day Real Estate, the Get Up Kids, Braid, and Jimmy Eat World, they helped bring emo from the punk underground to a wider indie rock audience in the latter half of the decade. Like the exact definition of emo itself, the Promise Rings music evolved in ways that were difficult to pin down completely; starting out as both intricate and visceral, they simplified their sound into more straightforward punk-pop, then dabbled in introspective roots rock before disbanding.