The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 52

Phenomenal. Last to Know and the title track are the only two im not feeling yet.

 

This might be my favorite at the moment, although high school friend is creeping up there.

 

Last to Know is my favourite and I usually prefer Greg songs to Tom's. Portland is great too, the singles all good. I like everything. Album feels cosy and comfortable to me. Don't really care or know that much about all the production comments, only thing is the second verse of Strain Your Memory isn't very clear. Solid and enjoyable overall but don't think it will rival ATP for me though

 

It makes me saaaaddddddd

 

This wasn’t as immediate for me as ATP, but after a handful of listens it’s showing its true colors and I’m loving it. I feel like at least half the album (the 3 singles, Strain Your Memory, I Can’t Stop Drinking, and Farewell Youth) are top-tier songs for the band.

And I absolutely love the production, the guitars sound great and that live, in-the-room feel of the vocals compliments the overall vibe of the album very well.

 

After a handful of listens my only complaint is that there aren’t more Tom songs, really happy with this

 

Strain Your Memory to I Can’t Stop Drinking to Strawberry Mansion to London Drugs to Farewell Youth is an unfairly good stretch to close an album.

 

The vocal effect is less and less noticeable with every listen so that’s great - strain your memory and the title track clicked for me this morning. I’m gonna play the shit out of this this fall. I can’t get away from the mindframe that ATP is the summer drinking/party record and HE is the lonely fall recovery record. Bless this band.

 

my god London Drugs is so fucking good

 

right now this is in my number 2 spot for the year, i think its phenomenal.

 

First time I’ve seen the HE abbreviation and I was thrown off for a second lol

 

I’m really loving the Americana/country tinge throughout

 

Got a free poster this morning when I bought the CD

 

After a few listens, the vocals being kinda tough to hear is most noticeable to me on "America (You're Freaking Me Out)". At first I thought this was solely because it is the first song and it is taking me a minute to adjust to the effect, but after going back and listening a few more times I am not so sure. It feels kinda like you are at a show hearing them live and just happen to be standing at a spot in the crowd where you are lined up perfectly for the speakers doing the instruments and music but you are off a little bit for the one doing the vocals. I also notice it the first time the singer says 'Anna' in the chorus to "Anna" - to my ears it just kinda sounds like he yells "Aaaah" even though I know he is saying "Anna". That really could just be my hearing starting to go at my age though.

I know a lot of serious Menzinger fans find this crazy, but I really can't tell the Greg or Tom songs apart - can someone do a breakdown for this album for me?

 

I agree that the effect is most noticeable on America. Was thinking that same thing this morning haha.

Tom's songs are Last to Know, Portland, and Strawberry Mansion

 

Thanks. Damn, he really killed it with his 3 here. All high points of the album for me.

 

Last to Know is right up there with Boy Blue as my favorite Tom songs

 

Strain Your Memory is easily my favourite on this

 

Feeling on the vocal effect is similar to the first few listens of the 59 Sound - you get used to it.

 

Hello Exile is the only song I am not mad about after 5 or so listens. I had a BIG singalong to this during a drive to go clothes shopping today, every chorus is massive.

 

The opener is my least favorite song on this one by a big margin. I am still finding the vocals pretty hard to make out on that song.

 

Seems I'm a bit out of the crowd here, title track is one of my early standouts haha

 

The drums in "Strain Your Memory" are my favorite on the whole record.

 

There are a handful of times on this album where the drumming really stood out to me as particularly awesome. "Strain Your Memory" and "Strawberry Mansion" are two that I am certain about, but there were more.

 

I listened to this not with headphones for the first time this evening and loved it even more. The production made it sound like I was seeing the band play live in a bar.