ya know i actually think scrambles is super consistent over its duration, including the second half, but my biggest problem with it is stylistically or production wise or for whatever reason, it all sounds kinda samey...like the songwriting on every individual song is top notch but something about it just makes it all kinda blur together i dunno

Album Rating: 4.5

might be because jeff's guitar tone really doesn't alter that much on Scrambles (Stuff That I Like, It Shits, 25!, Gang of Three, 9/11 Fever, Can I Pay My Rent In Fun, the second halves of Wednesday Night Drinkball and $2,500,000). I don't mind it personally, all the songs are just too incredibly top notch for it to matter to me

The lyrics on this album are terrible. Separate them from the music and just read them for what they are.

"They would pluck us from the lives we’re living with no fucks given and profit from the pain"

"Why do we accept the hand we’re given? The dealer’s grinning, she knows we’re terrified of change"

"Fuck off, the internet. I’m tired of circling amongst apologists who love ignoring the reality of unarmed civilians executed publicly."

This is high school level cringe politics. Remember when Jeff made fun of punks who took things too seriously? Some of these songs are great though. I really like Bang on the Door.

"I drown myself in chemicals, do I even have a choice?"

Says the guy who's made a "career" singing about drinking 40s.

Album Rating: 5.0

The lyrics only work in context with the music tho. Alone yeah they're kinda cringe. But screaming them along with 200 other people smashed together in a tiny bar venue makes the impact so much more relevant

Do you think 200 people smashed in a bar are going to be able to remember lines like: "They forced us to grow into a world without a soul. Your [sic] frozen with dread as their chatter becomes deafening. If you’re tired of being told to stop complaining about the cold, burn those fuckers in their homes?"

Just because he puts some catchy music behind the words doesn't make the words good.

Album Rating: 4.5

the music makes the words *fit* though

That's not at all what I'm criticizing.

this album is clearly written through the perspective of Jeff 'the everyday man' Rosenstock. Which is why the "political" aspect of the record is leaning towards more generalized statements and "cheer chant" hooks as opposed to intelligently getting to the nitty gritty of the political environment that has warped since the mid-2000s. What separates it from a lot of current punk and rock bands trying to make political records (like thrice or slaves) or songs is that here, because of the familiarity a listener has with Rosenstock through two decades of work and his genuine approach to songwriting, you can get behind what he's saying. Agree with it or not

He's not writing anything to appeal to the audience of people who want to feel good that they're rebelling against the man for listening to a political song and buying it for money... he's just doing the usual thing of kicking ass with the added mix of his own look at politics, especially as some of it does play in with his work on earlier BTMI albums. Even if its very simplistic in the long run, it comes from a good place and the music that backs it gives it strength. Not to mention that theres enough on this album that isn't just politics, its more like a bulletpoint on a list ofof things Jeff wants to drunkenly yell about.

Hell, having a line as stupid as the "hashtag or a meme" line from that Ghost song pretty much backs this up. Because could you really expect a band that was going out of their way to get political for the sake of money write something THAT dumb? Jeff even has this album up for free on his record label, which shows whatever is going on, agree with it or not, comes from a good place.

VaxXi, not only do I think you're misunderstanding my criticism, I also think you're wrong. The "everyday man" doesn't write shit like "We’ll get lost and wander off enraptured by fake doom. When our towns fall to the ground, oh, it won’t shatter me and you whenever we feel ashamed being alive and awake in such an era of hate and military police."

This isn't every day stuff. I'm familiar with Jeff Rosenstock's entire body of work, and I can't get behind what he's saying. These lyrics may have been relatable to me high school when I still thought Rage Against the Machine was cool, but they're not now.

I didn't mean to imply that the whole album was high school political, but at least half of it is. The non-political songs are the gold tracks here.

I also never implied that Jeff is trying to get political for the sake of money or is otherwise exploiting people. I never said his music doesn't come from a good place. I said his lyrics on this album suck.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Do you think 200 people smashed in a bar are going to be able to remember lines like: "They forced us to grow into a world without a soul. Your [sic] frozen with dread as their chatter becomes deafening. If you’re tired of being told to stop complaining about the cold, burn those fuckers in their homes?"



Yeah I do. Lines like that can hit really hard. They certainly hit me like a brick. It's all a matter of just realizing that you aren't gonna get James fuckin Joyce from Jeff

And im saying that the lyrics here don't suck, and you may be surprised, there's a lot of people who think the way Jeff writes here - just not as... artistically(????) stated. I wasn't accusing you of saying that everything is high school political or exploitative, I was just highlighting how the lyrics can get away with the way they are just because they're a lot more genuine then the suffocating lot of political records released in the last few years. So I apologize if it seems like I was accusing you of things you didn't say.

The way this album is stylized, the way Jeff is, and the overall thematic of the over the top rock opera usually leans towards these kinds of tropes and characteristics. Its all stupid, over-the-top fun with a foot in relevant topics since Rosenstock is just a dude who makes music. And i appreciate it for being aware of that instead of demanding itself to be taken more seriously as a slightly political album. They're all catchy lines that say enough, and its not being paraded for being politically smart at all. It really is just drunk yell anthems at the end of the day.

Then again, I'm in high school so maybe I just cant differentiate stupid lines from good writing oops.

I would substitute the word "melodramatically" for "artistically." It's just a bit much. I don't even disagree with much of the political sentiment on this album, just the way in which it was expressed.

We can agree to disagree. I do think some of this album is a lot of fun.

Album Rating: 3.5

I also think the lyrics suck fwiw

Album Rating: 4.0

I love the first half of this now too

OK so i just did my big high school english final (which matters a ton in australia and is three hours of straight essay writing) and went afterward to pick up this record which i've had on pre-order for about a month and i'm finally feelin it

Album Rating: 3.5

good luck past dimsim

Album Rating: 4.0

album averages should be flipped tbh for We Cool and this

Album Rating: 5.0

They aren't far apart anyway

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah true just my opinion