The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 48

My top three tracks after a few listens:

1. Strain Your Memory
2. Farewell Youth
3. I Can't Stop Drinking

 

Yeah this is the first Menz album that's not an instant click. Not a lot of bangers and plenty of slow mid tempo songs. Also not a fan of the production at all, vocals are drowned out in most of the songs. Typical Will Yip.

 

This album is so good. Love so many of the lyrics. As usual for me I prefer the Greg songs. I think I find his lyrics hit harder than the lyrics on Tom's songs.

Love I Can't Stop Drinking and the closer.

 

Seems like this will be a polarizing album for them

 

Good album overall, first half minus American and Ana is very underwhelming, back half saves it. Intrigued by this new blend of country in some of the songs, not sure where they go from this.

 

On my first listen and the title track just does something for me. Wow. Excited for the back half

 

strawberry mansion goes

 

Every listen I like this more.

 

I agree, but I swear I have heard them user that exact chorus melody before.

 

Nope, not a song to my knowledge. I don't know that he's overly popular in Australia, where country music is mostly just for the rodeo/oldie crowds. Which isn't to say I won't like him, just to say that I doubt a single person I know would have actively listened to Chris Stapleton.

 

This album is perfectly moody and great soundtrack to go along with the weather changing in Chicago. Love it

 

Right??? That's what I keep saying with a lot of these songs, they sound like they're already Menzingers songs that exist

 

Gotcha. Well, I very highly recommend Traveller. One of my favorites of the decade.

 

I only get it with this one song to be honest.

 

I definitely think our first listens are a little off because we've all played America and Anna to death which are two of the more upbeat catchy as hell in your face jamz. So really, we feel like we are starting with High School Friend into Last to Know which are back to back mid tempo style ones. Then right into another upbeat catchy as hell Strangers Forever (which most already heard) back into another mid temp slower one. So it feels like 3 back to back mid tempo, slower than usual Menzingers and at that point you look and you're at now track 7.

Not hearing Anna/America before I would be much less underwhelmed per say on my first listen. I don't mean for "slower/mid tempo" to be a negative because it is not. It just wasn't what I expected right out of the gate. The back half absolutely rocks and I am going to love this album once I can spend some time with it in this upcoming brisk fall weekend/season.

 

I’m really enjoying this

 

Glad I only listened to Anna among the pre release singles

 

This is alright. Second half is definitely better than the first. Need to listen a few more times obv. but this is the least excited I've been after a Menzos first listen. I might just be getting tired of this particular strain of punk/alt. rock music.

 

Only heard it once but it sounds similar to Cemetary Garden from the ATP session.

E: no penance

 

Agree completely. Luckily I hadn't listened to Strangers forever more than once so it felt fresh, but I must have played Anna 50+ times.

I'm gonna have to go back to that now and check.

 

The more I listen, the more I love this record, but I do see the parallels with RW. Wish there was more Tom on this though, I love the energy he brings to this band.

 

I am so glad I held out on Strangers Forever!

 

It's no penance actually, the Greg song

 

That's it!

Still love it.

 

High School Friend feels like the platonic version of Your Wild Years.

There’s a Wayne County close to my hometown. My friends and I spent a lot of time there in high school. I was instantly hooked on that song.