The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 16

This and “walk home single, seeing double” really do it for me

 

I’m hoping for a killer closer.
The last one is my favorite but they have yet to match their closer with their opener...cuz they crush track 1 consistently.

 

Some of y’all ought to revisit Chamberlain Waits. I’ve always gotten big Larry Arms vibes from that record, and many of those songs prominently feature both singers like the LA were famous for. “Tasker-Morris Station” is an early song where you can tell them apart, but believe me: I get the confusion since both Tom & Greg have nasally tones— I think Greg started out a tad rougher vocally but has become the band’s strong point; Tom liked to scream more often on the early records but he’s much more nasally than Greg on the early albums. Far easier to tell their voices apart on an album like ATP though; they’ve both very much come into their own as songwriters with their own personal trademarks, similarly to Alk3.

 

The Tom hate is so silly. Sculptors and Vandals is one of the best songs on OTIP and his style of songwriting drove the earlier records. I’d like to see them return to some of that

 

Like ... go listen to Freedom Bridge. Maybe the band’s best closer and probably my favorite Tom song. Tom is great. Greg is exceptional. This band is so fucking insanely great.

 

I like Bad Things, Burn After Writing, Freedom Bridge, Boy Blue, The Bars, and many more.

Cemetery's Garden and The Freaks are dope too.

 

Burn after writing? A literal perfect song? And he’s not as good as Greg? C’mon

 

Haha I don't know if I'd call him as good as Greg, but I think he's a vital part of the band and also a human being whose existence I value above how I feel about his art compared to someone else's

 

100%

 

I’m just bad at noticing different voices if I’m not paying attention. For years I didn’t know jim wasn’t singing the bridge of a praise chorus by JEW, and same for Anthony on the walking wounded title track by Bayside

 

I wanna make a joke about the pre-pro demos but I will refrain from going all in on it.

 

Y'all are crazy thinking anything other than "Chamberlain Waits" is their best closing track. That's far and away their best closer for me.

 

Chamberlain Waits is still their best closer imo

 

In reading this thread I didn’t realize how popular burn after writing and sculptures are. Skip em both whenever I listen.

 

Oh snap

 

To be fair. I have never really given that album a fair shake. I started with ATP and moved backwards.
Maybe I’ll spin it manana.

 

No way!! Both are brilliant. Ava House is the only song on that record I'd ever consider skippable and that's mainly because I don't think it fits in with the themes of the album lyrically.

 

Yeah Chamberlain Waits is brilliant. A bit punkier (even has a few screams) but has a lot of killer songs. They have eclipsed it since but I'd put it above Rented World.

 

I know I've contributed a little to the Tom/Greg talk but just to clarify...
Tom: Great.
Greg: Really great.
And for those who have trouble telling them apart, someone once told me Tom is the one who sounds like a drunk Irishman shouting at you. Greg has the more warbly voice. I find it a bit more difficult to make out what Tom is saying. I'd also say Tom's songs are usually a bit more structurally varied.

 

Won’t stand for Tom slander, burn after writing and sculptures and vandals are two of the best songs on OTIP and Freedom Bridge is fucking sick too

 

oooh good point, re: structurally varied. I think the back half of Rented World sticks out from their discography in a unique way in part because of songs like Hearts Unknown and Sentimental Physics.

 

When you died is prob my fav closer, w freedom bridge after. Not huge on this band’s closers. Usually have good openers though (but I don’t love tellin lies)

 

Should we do a pool for guesses as to the Greg/Tom split on the new album? Winner will always have the correct opinion as to whether or not Tom is as good of a songwriter or not.

My predictions:

America: Greg
Anna: N/A on the guess since it's already released (Greg)
High School Friend: Tom
Last to Know: Greg
Strangers Forever: Tom
Hello Exile: Greg
Portland: Greg
I Can't Stop Drinking: Tom
Strawberry Mansion: Greg
London Drugs: Tom
Farewell Youth: Greg

 

Kings road sucks. just tried pre ordering and of course it wouldn't place my order.