Album Rating: 3.0

"Jimmy Fallon lookalike contest winner Joe Godino’s snare is so FUCKING loud on this album and I don’t understand it; the fact that it sounds like wet paper doesn’t help things either."



Lmao, great read. Kinda let down from this too. The Hello Exile b-side they put out earlier this year is way better than most of this new record. Hello Exile did take a while to grow on me though, so I'm cautiously optimistic that this one will do the same.

Album Rating: 3.5

Ok definitely liking this more on listen #2. I understand people not being crazy about mid tempo heartland rock but that’s kind of exactly what I love these days so a lot of this is clicking with me. Loooove Ultraviolet

Album Rating: 2.5

butt pressing butt rock charges you hate to see it

Yeah, Take It to Heart probably takes the cake from I Can't Stop Drinking as their worst song.

First 2 singles and Try had me believing this was going to be a great album, one of my favourites of theirs. Aside from Ultraviolet, most of the rest of the album ranges from decent to forgettable to downright awful.

I think you absolutely nailed it. It's a good album, the singles are awesome, and Ultraviolet is outstanding. You are correct with pointing out the lack of creativity in the lyrics. The personality that they showed with their previous albums is just missing, lyric-wise. Everything just seems too simple and unpersonal. That is, what I believe, the defining attribute of The Menzingers. I still love them and am grateful for new music, but I hope they never completely lose that personality.

Album Rating: 2.5

I dont mind the direction at all, in fact i was thinking that they might benefit from a change in sound, and going more Americana was something i was hoping they would do. But it turns out theyre either just not good at it or maybe theyre on autopilot after all these years of writing and touring. Who knows. It happens to the best of them. Still sad though.

Album Rating: 3.5

“Yeah, Take It to Heart probably takes the cake from I Can't Stop Drinking as their worst song.”

Lol no, that was easily one of the best tracks from Hello Exile

Album Rating: 2.5

I Can’t Stop Drinking is so fucking good

Album Rating: 2.5

brotha no

Album Rating: 4.5

absolutely don't understand the ambivalence towards this one, in their upper half of albums for me.

Album Rating: 2.5

Album Rating: 4.0

My rating is probably generous, it's what I gave Rented World and Hello Exile and this isn't as good as those. And it probably is their weakest overall (although I rarely listen to the debut anymore). That said, I'm still enjoying it quite a bit. I think Take It To Heart is the only real clunker, and a couple of Tom's songs (sorry tom) here don't much for me (high low/love at the end), but the rest I'm digging. Ultraviolet is seriously great and was an instant stand out, same for the title track.



As for the new direction/identity crisis thing I think this more or less feels like a natural progression. Not that it couldn't have been better but it does feel 'natural' for them despite it feeling like it veers into pastiche territory. Idk I've loved this band forever so it's hard for me to judge their music impartially.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

its bc the vocal writing on this is boring as shit and nearly every song is rearranging the most stable scale imaginable. shit is practically designed and sculpted to feel like nothing is happening

I've been a huge fan of the band since OtIP dropped and I feel like this is a massive step down compared to their 2010 - 2017 work. It's no surprise that they leaned heavier into the americana style, but it's such a safe and boring choice especially after Greg already made an album like that last year (which is a lot stronger). The lyrics are also a far cry from what they were on After the Party.

Album Rating: 2.5

''Hope is a Dangerous Little Thing is the only song that really stands out here.''



One of the worst songs on the album and the worst possible single they could have released for this record tbh

Album Rating: 3.5

I think it’s a decent song but it gets repetitive really fast. A few songs here have that problem

Album Rating: 2.5

Come On Heartache is tippy tippy-top tier. I wish they could've bottled that energy for the rest of the record.

I am liking it more with each listen, I'm relatively new to this band and am really only familiar with the run from Rented World to Hello Exile. In saying that, I think that's about as strong a run as ANY band has ever had. This one is growing on me, like Hello Exile did. Am I the only one who still struggles to differentiate between Greg and Tom? Until recently I wasn't aware Tom sang lead on some tracks and just assumed Greg turned up the twang on some of the tunes.

Anyway, Come On Heartache and the title track are the early faves here.

Album Rating: 4.0

I think Greg and Tom sound pretty distinct. Wait until you include 'On the Impossible Past' in with that run. It's their best.