At the Croatian Cultural Centre on Friday, September 14

Steven Morrissey has a lot to answer for. Although he's arguably one of the greatest lyricists of our time, the former Smiths singer's countless songs about heartache and alienation are basically responsible, alongside John Cusack movies and the emergence of LiveJournal, for emo. Created by tousle-haired waifs, emo's fusion of punk, new wave, and sentimental first-person statements misleads starry-eyed suburban young girls and boys into thinking that navel contemplation is the last word in personal growth.

Yes, emo bands irk critics for a reason. Whether it be Pete Wentz and Joel Madden madly boning their way to the A-list, or less-famous raven-haired quasi-punks churning out verbose song titles, much of the genre is pure rubbish. Are there actually any emo bands out there worth listening to? As it turns out, yes. Friday night, Chicago quintet The Academy Is… turned in a furious and charismatic set, proving that even if 99 percent of emo is garbage, there's still hope for a generation of teens addicted to Miss Clairol Silken Black hair dye.

Strutting onto the Croatian Cultural Centre stage at a curfew-friendly 9:20 p.m., The Academy Is… was clearly out to put on a great show, with singer William Beckett stalking the stage like a squeaky clean version of Mick Jagger. Indeed, by the time the band launched into "Attention" from its 2005 debut, Almost Here (released on Fueled by Ramen label, natch), the young girls in the audience were shrieking like he was the in-his-prime Street Fightin' Man himself, piercing the eardrums of the parents waiting at the back of the room.

Although not every song broke loose from the shackles of simplistic pop punk and whoa-oh-oh lyrics, The Academy Is… has more to offer than most of its contemporaries. "Same Blood", the lead-off track from this year's Santi, boasted great pop hooks, while "Slow Down" and "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands" showcased fine musicianship, particularly from drummer Andy "The Butcher" Mrotek.

The Academy Is… are not likely to win any fans older than 21 any time soon, but the band's music, particularly on Santi, hints at a maturity to come. Beckett and company may be cuter than fuck, but they actually have substance. For a band in their early 20s, that's not half bad. Still, one hopes they'll destroy their genre from the inside, or at the very least have the good sense to leave their emo past behind them. You somehow know Morrissey would appreciate that.