Jeff Rosenstock
WORRY.


5.0
classic

Review

by ian b. USER (42 Reviews)
July 17th, 2017 | 20 replies


Release Date: 2016 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Life in the internet-age and coming to terms with the fall of the American dream.

There’s something strange about facing life head-on in today’s day and age. With the internet taking over, people seemingly becoming more connected to technology and more disconnected from the past. I almost feel bad for Jeff. The outcries of realization, as he watches all his friends and loved ones move on without him feel brutal and WORRY. almost feels like his cathartic revelation. Jeff’s realized what he’s missed out on being into music for pretty much over half his life, and you can tell he wishes he could at least go back and change something. Just something. As the gang vocals howl ”All these magic moments I’ve forgotten” on “We Begged 2 Explode” the future seems imminent. The nostalgia is cancelled, the future is almost too possible for Jeff, and this is how he decides to express it. And god’s sake we can’t all but feel the the exact fúcking same

Nostalgic tendencies have been plaguing a lot of modern music lately, and Jeff chooses to take those tendencies to work with his own spin on them. The album kicks into high gear with mid 2000’s indie-influenced “Pash Rash” into the old-school BTMI! and seemingly Andrew WK influenced “Festival Song” that at surface level seems like an attempt to rekindle some past sounds but really works so much better in the concept of WORRY. as a whole. The thing that makes the record so interesting and captivating is its experimentation in concept and musicianship as well. The entire second half of the album that plays as one big long punk rock subgenre circlejerk tinkers with everything from full blown hardcore, ska, folk-punk, power-pop, indie-rock, as well as his classic spin on punk-pop we all know and love from him. Such versatility and constant style changes that transition so well could only really be pulled off by an artist like Jeff Rosenstock. Only Jeff can write a blazingly fast song about greed from high-class businesses taking advantage of customers into a soft indie-rock song about the housing crisis in America of the past few years that flow and transition so fluidly. The experience Jeff has is so evident to the listener.

But Jeff’s musical experience isn’t really the only thing that makes this record so appealing. His perspective and life experiences, coupled with subtle nostalgic tendencies as well as seemingly cathartic opinions on today’s America, give a refreshing perspective of our world in today’s music. It’s a really different experience for him, as well as us as the listeners. I found it hard to speak softly once trouble finally found me, with a glaring stare and a couple holes in the wall. Jeff isn’t really trying to tell us stories. He’s telling us a message. Jeff is seemingly stating that trouble is worry, and that’s how life goes sometimes. Just patch up those holes in the wall and go back to bed. There’s no such thing as safety, there is no American dream. We can all hope for some closure, but life is as unpredictable as it gets. Life is vertigo, life is constant worry, life is signaling your hindsight, which of course is always 20/20. Jeff said it best honestly, love is worry. Love is WORRY.

With WORRY., Jeff pretty much broke me into a new man. He instilled a sense of doubt in myself that I couldn’t have needed more. WORRY. is a shocking revelation that life is temporary and it’s not all fun and games, but that’s okay. We all have demons, but sometimes we can’t see them, and when we do, maybe we just need to take them out for a drink or something. On closer “Perfect Sound Whatever”, Jeff, over triumphant and war-torn instrumentation, states ”Perfect always takes so long, because it don’t exist.” Well Jeff, i think you’ve been staying up late to exorcise those demons you couldn’t keep, but you never really realized they were right in front of you this whole time. That’s okay, because maybe there is no such thing as the American dream, but perfect can exist, and it’s been right here in front of you this entire time.



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Comments:Add a Comment 
ianblxdsoe
July 17th 2017


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

the conclusion to my "5 5 Star Reviews in 5 Days" series, and technically it's 5 days in uh, not sputnik time, gmt or whatever. this one was a really personal one to me. CC is always appreciated. check out the review McTime50 put out for this earlier also it's pretty solid. and uh this is prob the only time you'll see 3 reviews of mine on the front page lol, let alone 3 5 star reviews ecks dee

danielito19
July 17th 2017


12251 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Hyperbolic but well written. Pos hard.

ianblxdsoe
July 17th 2017


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

it's all about perspective i guess man, glad you liked it nonetheless :D

McTime50
July 17th 2017


1021 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Wait, was I right and you just said this wasn't your 5th to make me feel better or was this just spontaneous? lol it's fine either way. Great review!

ianblxdsoe
July 17th 2017


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

pretty much spontaneous, kinda inspired by your review lol

clavier
Emeritus
July 18th 2017


1206 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

pos'd, congrats to the completion of your series

Snake.
July 18th 2017


25376 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

damn two reviews of this in one day awesome

hal1ax
July 18th 2017


15777 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

"people coming seemingly becoming"

cut coming?



nice review

Ebola
July 18th 2017


4574 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Great review. Album is one of my all-time favorites.

butcherboy
July 18th 2017


9464 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I totally missed you posting that.. personal reviews when done well are fucking lovely, and this is definitely one of those.. Pos to hell and back!!

Conmaniac
July 18th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

hey love your style ian. this one seems pretty rough around the edges and could be polished up but i'm too lazy to put suggestions rn. overall easy pos and loving this streak of creativity you've been having so keep doing you

ianblxdsoe
July 18th 2017


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

yeah nobody wanted to proofread it so i just posted it bc yolo didnt think anyone would actually read it anyways since i've been practically spamming the site lol

Conmaniac
July 18th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

aha yeah I could tell but don't WORRY about it hahahahahahahahahaha

bbgames
July 18th 2017


593 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Great review of a fantastic album.

dimsim3478
July 18th 2017


8987 Comments


on jeff related stuff i'm reading this interview http://www.stereogum.com/1952733/qa-jeff-rosenstock-on-how-weird-it-was-to-be-playing-the-pitchfork-festival/franchises/interview/ and jeff sez he had a bunch of rough material for the next album and it all got fuckin stolen and the only song that really made it out of all that was "dramamine"

Conmaniac
July 18th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

how does that even happen?? like how do you steal files

ianblxdsoe
July 18th 2017


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

what the fuckkk that sucks, he's already played a bunch of new songs live though so like

dimsim3478
July 19th 2017


8987 Comments


how does that even happen?? like how do you steal files

the music was on a digital recorder and the lyrics were in a notebook
what the fuckkk that sucks, he's already played a bunch of new songs live though so like

jesus christ, the dude just doesnt stop. i've got my money on early next year for the new album but hopefully sooner ;)

VaxXi
July 25th 2017


4418 Comments


reminder that this album is the GOAT

Satellite
July 25th 2017


26539 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

"how does that even happen?? like how do you steal files"

lots of different ways. once against me! left a demo cd laying around backstage at one of their shows and someone swiped it and uploaded it to the internet. or he could've been hacked.



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