The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 60

I am not overstating that OTIP is one of the 50 best records of this century.

 

It's one of the five best records of the century.

 

Also, I know that after Rented World was such a departure from what I loved about OTIP (albeit still good in its own right), my first listen to After the Party had me smiling the whole way through. It was exactly what I wanted from the band.
My anticipation was different this time around, so my first listen was never going to be the same. I'm just letting the whole album sink in still, and I am sure its greatness will continue to reveal itself over time.

 

Hasn't hit me yet like OTIP and ATP did, but I'm sure it will. I don't know how this band does it.

2012 OTIP - I was 22 when the album came out, dating a waitress, drinking at bars together, smoking, laughing, fighting, causing chaos together. This album spoke to me then.

2017 ATP - 26 when it came out. Started dating a new girl, and my friends and I were starting to realise the immediacy of our growing lives / growing apart as adulthood dawned on us. We still all hung out as often as we could, but life started to get in the way. The party was over. This album spoke to me then.

2019 HE - 29 now. Engaged to be married next year. All my friends are having kids. A friend of ours from high school passed away last year due to suicide. Catch ups are now talking about 'old times'. I'm sure this album will speak to me.

Still a bit of love for their other albums, but fuck man, I love my Menzingers journey.

 

It's cool that everyone's got such personal stories about connecting with different Menzos albums. I think that speaks to how strong their work is, how impactful it is emotionally.

People are talking about past albums, so I'll just say that while it's early, this might be my favorite of theirs since OTIP, maybe of all time.

 

Been living in Australia the last few months for work.

Heading home next week and have started to simultaneously be homesick and melancholy about leaving.

This album has really been great with a beer the last few nights.
It isn’t my fav. But it is still hits me in the feels.

 

Starting to REALLY love this album now. Strain Your Memory, America and Hello Exile are my favourites as of the time of writing

 

Greg's unleashing the twang when he says "summertime" in the last verse of Hello Exile

 

I listened to this album for the first time yesterday. I used my AirPods and understood every word. I’m just mentioning it because there appears to be some fuss about that. Anyway, I love the album.

 

No matter how I listen to this I can hear the vocals, find it weird that so many people can't

 

When it comes to the production choices relative to the vocals, I just think it depends your preferences are and what you’re currently used to hearing. If you are listening to a lot of pop adjacent records that are going for crisp vocals and a big sound, I can see where this can be an adjustment. But if you’re spending time with records going for a live feel or an overall grittier sound, this record isn’t a huge adjustment. Not saying either approach or listening habit is better, but I think it helps with the context. And certainly we all have our own sound preferences.

 

I feel like Anna was the only track I struggled a bit with the lyrics and vocals but other than that everything has been fine. I've listened through really nice Sony headphones, my iPhone ear buds, driving in my Corolla, and through a sound system speaker and all thankfully has been fine for me.

 

Yeah, I don’t see how the vocals here are any different than ATP except for more reverb, but everyone hears things differently

 

I’ve been listening to this band so much lately I finally feel like a certified expert in telling Greg and Tom apart, especially in their earlier work which I struggled with.

 

I've been at shows before where people have moaned that they can't hear the vocals when I've heard them perfectly fine. Funnily enough this has happened twice when I've seen Menz

 

Tbh the thing gets me, both with this band and other bands, is more not being able to understand diction. Like, there are moments where I can hear the vocals fine but the “accents” or pronunciation are impossible for me

For example, I think it’s “Could a diamond in the rough ever be enough?” in Strain Your Memory, but I have no clue what the line immediately following that is

 

I agree with this. The way Greg sings a lot comes off mumbly, and then once I read the lyrics it instantly clicks.

 

The thing is, I usually don't like it when I can't properly understand the vocals and it doesn't take all that much because, like you said, I tend to listen to music that is a lot more vocals focused. Still, I had no problem here. Maybe it's different over speakers.

 

I had to look up the lyrics for Strain Your Memory for that exact part.

Could a diamond in the rough ever be enough?
I’ve been mining for your love
Since the day that we met I’ve spent every second
in your minefield digging it up

The word 'love' in there is particularly hard to understand. But what lyrics! what a song!

 

Bruh listen to like a recent mwy or defeater or la dispute record if you want to hear what yips low vocals sound like. they’re damn near pristine on this album comparatively. however whatever the first single was I remember thinking they were too low when it dropped but I didn’t notice on the full album

 

I'm pretty positive OTIP would be my album of the decade

 

I'm probably misinterpreting your post and you're prob. already aware but I had the lyrics wrong initially - he only says "Anna" once in the chorus in the last line. The first line he says "I have"

"I have so much to tell ya
Please come back to Philadelphia
This place ain't the same without you Anna"

 

Well that explains that I guess. My hearing really isn't great these days. Plus, I have always been terrible at making out lyrics.

 

In the chorus of Anna is does sound like instead of I have he's saying AAAAAHAH

 

oh i thought it was Anna I've so much to tell ya