( A personal favorite of mine from Jeff!)
So I’m just gonna get this off my chest, Jeff, “Mornin’!” wasn’t necessary in the slightest. But I’m not gonna dwell on it, it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the album as a whole. Jeff, however, wakes us up quickly with “USA”, emphasis on “Wake up”. Quickly, Jeff’s blaring vocals and equally blaring lyrics really get you into the mood and feel of this album. Now, a lot of the same elements that showed up on “WORRY” are here in full effect. But as far as the production goes, as well as the attention to detail, I can’t help but be seriously impressed. Outside of the ridiculous, 7 minutes runtime, some of the little details within the instrumentals and just how fleshed out they are is remarkable. Jeff has obviously always worked with musicians that have given him a lot of great moments in brief, but here, they really have room to breathe. Now, let’s chat about these lyrics. Obviously, Jeff’s toyed with talking Politics for years now, but this is a completely different game. Not only that, he blends in chatting about politics with his usual very paranoid, slacker image for a really charming and unique feel. Jeff’s lyrics are as witty and clever as ever, as he blasts “I saw the sign but it was misleading, I fought the law but the law was cheating”. As a whole, “USA” is all really bold for Jeff. But he ends up handling himself so well, and the results are quite frankly mesmerizing. I can’t remember the last time I heard a Punk Epic come off as just that, epic. Jeff’s repeated lyrics of “We’re tired and bored” add such a hypnotic element, and even the few minutes of an instrumental interlude we get comes off as enchanting. Jeff somehow turned his disapproval of the world and the way things are going and turned it into a 7-minute instantly catchy and quite frankly groundbreaking Punk Epic, and it’s amazing. “Yr Throat” on the other hand, is a LOT more straightforward and instantaneous. I love the intense strumming here, and the chaotic instrumentals seemingly surrounding Jeff from every angle. Lyrically, I think it goes without saying, but Jeff is truly a gift and his lyricism remains his greatest strength. He constantly brings up points that we’ve all felt, about not having a voice when it comes to certain elements of life. Yes, Jeff’s talking about Politics again, it’s a trend that’s not going anywhere either. But his personality also bleeds through wonderfully, as Jeff paints himself as this truly paranoid individual, something we’ve seen countless times from him through the years. “Yr Throat” is catchy, intense, instantaneous and totally Jeff Rosenstock. Then we have “All This Useless Energy”, and I always love when Jeff slows it down just a touch like he does here. It really brings back that great, slacker feel of “We Cool?”. This one, while it’s slower, is also a little more rough around the edges as far as production goes. But it still comes off with this very grandiose feel that we’ve heard so far. As a whole though, interestingly enough, a LOT of this track reminds me of some lost B-Side from “We Cool?”. Even the lyrics harken back and give me that feel that Jeff is still just a big teenager, as he blares out “I haven’t found the rhythm yet to anchor down my life. I didn’t know I needed one, to hold me through the night.”. It’s sort of weird to hear a track like this on what is essentially a pretty “Grown-Up” album otherwise. But I think it’s a great addition, it really gives you that feeling that Jeff really does feel hopeless when it comes to so many things. Not to mention, his vocal performance on tracks like this always end up coming off so raw and passionate.
Now, as far as an instantly memorable and catchy tune here, not to mention important, it really doesn’t get much better than “Powerlessness”. Jeff here sounds at his most agitated and absolutely his most paranoid, the latter which I’m surprised has become such a part of him over the years. It’s almost hard to keep up with everything going on here, but Jeff amongst all of this almost sounds like his head is at it’s most clear within this absolute onslaught. We forget that at the end of the day, Jeff writes Punk Rock, great Punk Rock at that. And this is, quite frankly the best standard Punk Song that Jeff has released in years. It’s intense and memorable, but it’s also just so damn obvious and simple. If I had to choose one song on here that I really wasn’t 100% into, it would be “TV Stars”. That’s not to say there isn’t a ton to enjoy on it still, I really love Jeff’s very sincere performance that comes off much more heartfelt than any of his early slow-jams like this. Even lyrically, I think this is one of the most compelling tunes that Jeff has penned here. But I can’t help but feel like this one just gets me out of the flow of the album. Don’t get me wrong, there were slow songs on “We Cool?” and “WORRY.”. But they had a little grit to them when needed, plus they just seemed so welcomed. Stylistically this track really does stick out like a sore thumb. Am I being a big baby? You’re damn right I am, and I still do like a lot about this track. From the harmonious chorus to the very grand feeling of it all, I certainly get why a lot of Jeff’s fans would dig this. But for me, I can’t get into it completely. On the other hand, “Melba” is the triumphant blast right back in the right direction that I was dying to hear. Jeff here sounds so much more determined. Not to mention, this one contains some of the album’s more Pop-Punk and Power Pop elements, which are always welcomed. “Melba” is just so catchy and jolly throughout. Not to mention, I’m going to sound corny as hell, but just how adorable this track can be a times is absolutely charming. In an album overflowing with “why bother” lines, to hear a line like “Let’s go back to Melbourne, we can start over. Because mistakes get forgotten, dreams get remembered” is reassuring and sweet. Honestly, there may be some of the most hopeful lyrics we’re going to get from Jeff in a really long time. It’s a brilliant tune honestly, with Jeff remaining as one of Punk’s finest poets. Then we get songs like “Beating My Head Against A Wall”, which are so simple in the best way. It’s nothing short of a catchy, memorable, short Punk tune. It’s a little too short to be a real standout, and it may be a little repetitive. But still, Jeff really knows how to get inside your head even on his slightly less creative moments.
“9/10” is up next, and this is another slow one for Jeff. But it comes off so much more effective and gives us the feeling that deep down Jeff is an absolute mess. This may be Jeff’s most focused work as an album, but he’s still living in a time that he is losing hope for by the second. He may be jamming out to some of this generation’s catchiest Punk tunes, but 9 times out of 10 he’s sitting at the bar afterward (see what I did there). As far as a slower tune goes on this album, this is easily one of the more interesting and instrumentally sound. Not to mention, it just seems to really fit the mold of what Jeff is doing on this album. This album ends off with “Let Them Win”, which is surprisingly a very grimy and grungy track. Like, this is so incredibly dense sounding that it’s almost refreshing. Not only dense instrumentally, it packs a lyrical punch as well. It’s anthemic, and just as concerned with modern politics as the majority of the rest of the album. But here, Jeff seems so unified and in a really weird way, hopeful for the future. I love just how passionate Jeff ends up sounding in these tracks that hit so close to how he’s feeling. Not to mention, let’s address the elephant in the room. Jeff has been able to really start taking his songs to greater lengths and seems totally comfortable with it. Jeff Rosenstock remains one of modern Punk’s greatest gifts.
Rating: 8.4/10
Give A Listen To: “U.S.A.”, “All This Useless Energy”, “Powerlessness”, “Melba”
Genre: Punk Rock / Pop Punk / Power Pop / Indie Rock
Overall Thoughts: I stand by my original thoughts, that Jeff Rosenstock did sort of come through with a less instantaneously pleasing album this time around. But in it’s place, has come out with a true Thinking Man’s Punk Album. Yes, the guy who a few years ago who was sitting at the bar and didn’t want to hear shit about being 30 and not knowing where his life was going, is now making a seriously thought provoking and quite frankly epic Punk album. Like I said, some of the more Pop Punk elements that made “We Cool?” and “WORRY.” instant classics. But the incredibly passionate performances, thoughtful lyrics, and Jeff’s booming personality makes this one a classic in it’s own right. But I think what makes this album truly powerful, is it’s lingering hope. Deep down on countless tracks, Jeff urges us to stand together, and reminds us no matter what, we will get through this all. 2018 just started, but Jeff may have already made Punk album of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment