Review Summary: Punk is dead, but no one told The Menzingers.
I'll go ahead and address the inherent irony in that statement. Punk isn't dead, that's a ridiculous statement. Just because one doesn't like the current incarnation of a genre doesn't mean the genre's dead, it just means one is probably not digging deep enough. Punk is far from dead, you just have to look in the right places. In an age where the internet gives anyone a platform, saying any given genre is dead is just kind of arrogant. Now that I have that tangent out of the way, I can actually talk about the album.
Chamberlain Waits is an exercise in how to have fun with your music while still being important and worthwhile. It means a lot to you, but you can put it on any time and not be sad because it's just so infectious. It's a great album for parties, but also works when you're alone, daydreaming about...well, anything. Versatility, not so much in terms of the sound of an album but when it's good to listen to, is incredibly beneficial when it comes to albums, and the trait is often overlooked. Understandably so, there's a lot more that can make an album great and versatility in the sense that I mean falls by the wayside when thinking about a lot of great albums. But especially when it comes to albums like Chamberlain Waits, it's important to mention because it doesn't exactly have versatility to fall back on.
Most songs on here sound similar to each other, and contain a good number of similar lyrical themes, but this isn't an issue primarily due to the versatility and it being 31 minutes long. It far from overstays it's welcome and every second is a blast. My personal highlight is Time Tables, a song about a girl wandering into town and sending our narrator head over heels, despite her friendzone-ing him. Discussions of which Bad Religion album is best make it seem like you could've written it, it makes you close to it, not to mention how damn catchy it is. And I mean who doesn't understand the friendzone?
All in all, Chamberlain Waits is an absolute classic and is required listening for any punk fan of this generation. It lives and dies with it's ability to relate and to get stuck in your head, and boy, does it live. But the Menzingers had something even better in store for us two years later...
