other bands in San Francisco in lieu of "punk-noisy indie guitar rock". Thomas called it "easily their stormiest, gruffest material"; Melissa Fossum of Phoenix New Times said that the "super-dense" musicality made it "one of the hardest albums to get into, but it's great in the context of Jawbreaker". Other critics commented on the songwriting and the change from Unfun. Jim Testa of Trouser Press noted that while it dropped the "playful brightness" of their debut, it continued their "formula of literate, well-crafted pop songs filled with unpredictable breaks and changes". Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork said it was their "darkest collection, a sprawling, shaggy-dog set that found them transitioning from the cleaner, calmer Unfun to something grittier, wilder, and smarter". Alternative Press writer Vivianne Oh said that the album showcases a band "progressing with tunes that crackle with alienation and burning chunks of aggressive guitar", highlighting Schwarzenbach's growth as a lyricist. Dan Fidler of Spin praised the trio's individual abilities; Ryan attributed the musicianship to all of the members being "equally invested in the songwriting". Author Andrew Earles wrote in his book Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981–1996 (2014) that it "exuded a maturity years beyond not only its debut, but beyond many" of their peers. Legacy and accolades In the aftermath of the album's release, Greenwald wrote that Schwarzenbach's charisma as a frontman "helped establish Jawbreaker as a national touring act"; in addition to this, the band, with their "dominant voice and searingly personal POV, produced emo's first idol". Joe Gross of Spin said that Bivouac and 24 Hour Revenge Therapy were "two of early emo's key documents"; editors Cindy Dell Clark and Simon J. Bronner expressed a similar statement in Youth Cultures in America (2016). Chaz Kangas of Spectrum Culture wrote that Jawbreaker provided a specific sound in "such a way that contemporary bands still have an audible chunk of the album in their collective DNA". Ryan said that in the ensuing years, Jawbreaker subverted the darker edge of Bivouac with the brighter-sounding 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, and would return to it on Dear You (1995) without the ambitious songwriting. Fitzgerald said the "sheer musical fortitude and lyrical passion [...] make this album a cornerstone of underground rock music" in the vein of the Pixies and the Promise Ring. In an Alternative Press interview promoting Dear You (1995), Schwarzenbach critiziced the album as being