The Menzingers - After the Party (February 3, 2017) Album • Page 59

It's definitely my album of the week so far

 

Its interesting that RW had a lot of 90s alt rock influence in it (as mentioned by @Thomas Nassiff in his great review, hope you write something for this!) and this album goes forward a decade with a lot of 00s rock influence. Theres a little AI era Green Day, a little Killers, even some Sleater-Kinney (Telling Lies) and some other staple indie rock bands (Black Mass gives me a early Death Cab kind of vibe. Just a bit) which I think is cool. Plus theres just some great, great hooks and melodies here all delivering some really fantastic world-building poetry.

 

I got drunk in the afternoon with your father in the living room, as the television broke the silence you smiled, knowing I was trying.

 

Love it. Grinned ear to ear the whole time. Haven't been this happy listening to an album since the new Descendents last year, but this one hits me more lyrically.

These guys just know how to do it. This will be on repeat for months for sure.

 

Not sure I've ever anticipated a tour more than the upcoming Rosenstock/Rozwell Kid one. These songs are going to be killer live, and I'm gonna be screaming along all night.

 

Standouts for me are: Lookers, Midwestern States, Charlie's Army, House On Fire, Boy Blue, The Bars, Livin' Ain't Easy.

Such a fun album, but not like summer pop-punk fun, more like sit around a backyard fire and sink beers with friends fun.

 

Wow, I'm really looking forward to hearing this after seeing all the praise. OTIP and RW were just fine to me but I think this album could be one I really latch onto. Totally here for the Green Day vibes.

 

OTIP changed my life, RW bored me...but I think I never gave it enough time. Might have to revisit properly, especially after how good this is.

 

Livin' Ain't Easy's getting more beautifully sad with each listen.

 

I don't know if it is the 3 hours of sleep or the 24 ounces of coffee or both but this album had me feeling all sorts of things this morning

 

We are in similar predicaments as documented by our early morning twitter exchanges haha

 

Gonna echo the praise the Tom songs are getting. Even The Bars has grown on me since yesterday even though it's still my least favorite.

 

Man the vocal melodies on the verses of Charlie's Army are so good but the chorus weirds me out cus my name is Charlie and I'm definitely not a vengeful ex-boyfriend

 

An instant classic. I'm thrilled with how good this is. Cannot wait for Thursday night.

 

the bridge or outro to tellin lies is so killers ha

 

So oh yeah oh yeah let's go to vegas, put it all on black and marry by elvis, wake up broke but we'll be fine, we'll get rich in another lifetime

 

I love OTIP, but some of the second half stalls out for me. RW is pretty meh, but still a great album.

I think overall I'll end up liking this album as a whole better than OTIP, but the super powerful songs on OTIP can never be beat. I guess it just comes down to me generally not being a fan of their slower songs. Haven't listened to Livin' Ain't Easy yet, though.

 

black mass and livin ain't easy are two great slow tracks on here. as far as comparing it OTIP, i'm a new fan so I havn't had that record playing for years like most listeners, but I would say that I enjoy that record slighly more than this one right now. If not only bc there is a quality on that record that makes it truly special. That being said I feel that this album is right up there in quality.

 

it took me quite a few listens to truly "get" OTIP and move beyond viewing it as a "solid" album to viewing it as a "life-changing" album.

 

I take it this leaked sometime after I left work yesterday. I'm excited to check this out...

 

Such a fantastic record. Can't stop listening to it

 

Midwestern States hits me so hard right now. Bad case of the winter blues here in permanently grey-skyed West MI. I would give anything to drop everything to visit my best friend out in LA right now.

 

The Bars ugh I could listen to that song forever. After spending the last year getting sober it's just so nostalgic and beautiful.

 

Happy to have our first really stellar album of 2017. Lord knows we need it right now, haha.

P.S. The college loan lyrics on Midwestern States are entirely too relatable.

 

I've liked their past records, but this one is hitting right in my wheelhouse. Have a feeling I'm going to spend a lot of time with these songs this year.