There's no real risk-taking involved, as all of the overly glossed productions feature the same lyrical topics ''du jour'' as the previous nine volumes. There are still glimpses of originality, especially in the album's closing moments provided by Richmond's Silent Type. ''Emo Diaries, Vol. 10'' will definitely appeal to its targeted audience, but for most people it will feel a bit like watching the end of ''Old Yeller'': sometimes you just have to put things down.〔

Deep Elm cited the bastardization of the term "emo" in today's pop culture, as well as mainstream's stranglehold and subsequent commercialization of the genre, which placed the focus squarely on the aesthetic...not the music, the energy or the passion. Essentially, Deep Elm refused to play the game and closed the doors on the genre they helped to document, nurture and expose to the world.〔